Starstruck
by secrethalfblood
Summary: Oliver Wood is in his 7th and final year at Hogwarts. It's his last year to win the house cup, but when Reagan Williams, a new talented Chaser from the United States moves to play for England he finds that quidditch might not be the only thing he cares about anymore.
1. Chapter 1

Opov

I looked around the platform in amazement, trying to drag my trunk through the crowd. It felt as if there were about ten times the normal amount of people on the platform this year, but I had no idea why. All the students and their families were trying to push through to the train, but making little success. Hundreds of people some, strangely, in quidditch robes, were crowding the entrances to the train and peering into the windows as if hoping to get a look at someone.

"This is insane." I muttered to myself as I was jostled to the side by a woman in bright pink robes followed by a man with a massive camera. I saw in her hand she held an acid green quill.

They weren't the only ones either.

The platform, already packed to the bursting point when only the students were on it, was filled with camera crews and people that I could only assume were reporters.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" I asked, when I was pushed, yet again, aside for another running pair as they darted to the train which was already belching out steam over the platform.

I didn't have to wait long for an answer.

"OLIVER!" a familiar voice shouted and I turned only to be tackled by a tall slender girl with excited blue eyes and long blonde hair.

"Hey Alicia." I said with a laugh disentangling myself from the girl and looking down at Alicia Spinnet, my best friend.

"Hey." She said brightly, looking just as excited as the crowd around us.

"What's with all these people?" I asked in amazement looking around. "Harry hasn't done anything death defying again, has he?"

"You mean you haven't heard?" she asked her eyes going wide in astonishment as behind her people scowled at us for holding up the line to get to the train. "I would have thought you of all people would know."

"Know what?"

"Reagan Williams!" she said excitedly.

"What about her?"

"She's coming to Hogwarts!"

Reagan Williams was the quidditch world's newest super star. The American Chaser had taken on the international level at the age of fifteen after being assigned as a reserve to the United State's national team. By sixteen she was a starter and had been taking the league by storm. She played Chaser and since she'd started playing with them, the American team had been winning more games than ever. Now seventeen, she broken all sorts of records, and had become extremely famous, even in other countries.

"How do you know this?" I asked frowning.

There had been some rumors that she might try and transfer, especially after last year it was leaked in a fan magazine that she had dual citizenship with the United States and England, but it had never been confirmed. At least not until now apparently. But wouldn't be the first time things were made up to sell papers.

"It was in the 'Prophet' this morning!" she said practically vibrating with excitement. There weren't a lot of women on the professional quidditch leagues, and Alicia had been a huge fan of Williams even when she was in the American minor leagues. "They had a big press release last night! She's going to play for England in the world cup!"

"So what you're saying, is that one of the biggest names in quidditch, is possibly on that train right now?"

"Not just on the train!" she said brightly. "Oliver, she'll be in our year! We might have classes with her! And if she's in Gryffindor-" her eyes went wide as she cut her self off. "Oliver, what if she's in our house? I'll be LIVING with her oh my god, oh my god!"

"Breathe." I said calmly putting a hand on her shoulder. She looked as if she was about to hyperventilate.

"Breath?" she asked looking at me incredulously. "Breathe? Oliver! I might be living in the same dormitory as my hero, and you're telling me to BREATHE. Oh my god." She said running her fingers through her hair then started to fan her self with her hands.

"Just try to calm down yet. We don't know anything yet. Why don't we get a compartment?" I asked.

"I can't." she said regretfully. "I promised Aiden I'd meet him on the train."

"Oh." I said feeling disappointed.

Aiden was Alicia's boyfriend that she'd become completely obsessed with. I didn't mind him, not really, but if I was completely honest I could never really bring myself to like Aiden. He was an alright bloke, but no one liked the boyfriend of the girl they fancied.

"Well I guess I'll see you at the feast then?" I asked.

"Yeah." She said brightly. "Hopefully I'll run into Williams. Would it be too lame to ask for an autograph?"

"If you run into Reagan Williams, you won't be asking anything. I doubt you'll be able to speak."

She laughed and melted back into the crowd that were all fighting to get out to the train.

I sighed and redoubled my grip on my trunk, then moved with the crowd to the nearest entrance.

Navigating inside the train wasn't nearly as difficult. It was still relatively early, and nearly all the compartments were open. I continued walking down towards the end of the train, hoping to gain some privacy by finding a seat towards the back when I heard a loud 'CRASH' followed by a series of 'thwumps', coming from the compartment to my left.

The shade was down and I hesitated before opening the door.

"Are you alright?" I asked looking at a small, extremely pretty girl sitting in the middle of what looked like an explosion of clothes, text books, and quidditch gear.

She looked up and I felt my eyes go wide. Though I'd never met her in person, the long black hair, brown eyes, and pretty features were very familiar. How many times had I seen them in the paper or quidditch magazines…

Her eyes went wide to.

"Erm, hi." I said lamely.

I couldn't believe it. I was standing in front of Reagan Williams herself.

Rpov

I looked peaked outside the curtains only to be blinded by camera flashes. Outside on the platform dozens of reporters and their camera crews lined up outside the window, all shoving their quills and cameras in the air begging for interviews and photographs.

I quickly shut the curtains and looked at Max who was sitting across from me in the train compartment.

"This is insane." I said my eyes wide as he scowled at the window.

"This shouldn't be happening." he said irritably. "I specifically told them not to release a statement about your trade until AFTER you were already at school. Now we're in the middle of this PR mess."

Max was a tall man with black hair that was graying slightly and blue eyes that were currently narrowed in annoyance. As usual his robes were immaculate and his hair neat with out a single hair out of place. I imagine he looked quite odd, this forty year old business professional, sitting with a seventeen year old girl in an old t shirt and faded jeans, but that's how it always was with us. He was my agent, in charge of making sure I got where I needed to go and knew the names of the people I needed to know, and as usual, he was far more put together than I was, in both his life and mine.

"I still can't believe it." I said glancing at the curtain, even though it was closed I knew what was behind it. "The press was never this bad at home."

"This is England." He said tersely. "Where quidditch is much more popular. And this is home now." He reminded. "You're playing with them for the world cup, now start acting like it. The last thing I need is for some tabloid filth paper hear you say that and start claiming that you don't have any national pride."

"Alright." I said moodily. "But things were never this crazy in the U.S."

"Yes well, you've decided to play here." He reminded me. "There's a reason why you're paid more here."

"I don't care about money." I said shrugging.

"That's because you've got more than you can spend." He said with a grin. "I know you came here because the players are better, but there's a reason why England is so good. They've got the money to be good, and that's because they've got a massive fan base. So if you want to play here, you've got to play nice with your fans."

"I love my fans," I said indignantly. "It's the press I can't stand."

"Yes, well the press gives the fan access to you." He said wisely. "So you have to place nice with them too."

"Fine." I said crossing my arms over my chest and glaring at the opposite side of the compartment.

"And speaking of the press," he started.

"Maaaaaax." I groaned unhappily but he ignored me.

"You have an interview with 'Witch Weekly' on Wednesday about women role models in quidditch, so make sure to brush up on the English female players. And after that on Tuesday you've got a photo shoot with 'Which Broomstick' so don't forget to tend to your firebolt so it's photo ready."

"I though you said I'd be done with interviews by now."

"I thought you would be." He admitted. "But you gained a lot more notoriety here than even I expected."

I didn't answer.

"But this is good thing." He reminded me. "The more excited people get over you, the more your coach is bound to play you. And you want playing time."

"Yeah." I said dejectedly and he seemed to take pity on me.

"It's only for a little while longer Ray." He said consolingly. "Then all you have to focus on is practice and school."

"I still don't see why I couldn't be homeschooled like I was for the last two years." I said bitterly. When my quidditch schedule had gotten too demanding over the passed two years, I'd dropped out of regular school and gotten a private tutor who worked in the spare hours I had between practices and games. "Besides I'm seventeen. That's the legal age here right? Why can't I drop out?"

School had never been fun for me back home in the U.S. Or as Max would have me say it, in my 'previous home' the U.S. I'd never been that great at magic and I'd never really fit in. The girls at the Salem Witches' Institute never really saw the benefit of a girl who was totally obsessed with sports. No one wanted to be friends with me. I didn't see why that would change here.

"You are not giving up on your education." He said with such a finality in his voice, he sounded like a father speaking to this child. "And I couldn't get you a tutor in time so you're going to Hogwarts."

"But how is this going to work?" I asked. "I've got practice and games almost everyday! How am I going to have time for school?"

"I've got it all worked out." He said pulling two identical black books out of his bag and tossing one to me knowing I would catch it. I always did. "These planners are enchanted." He continued as I rifled through the pages seeing every date was filled with writing in different colored inks. "I've got everything on your schedule written down in color coordination. Anything I write in my planner will show up in yours and vice versa."

"But what about homework?" I asked rifling through the pages. "And Exams?"

"They're all in there too." He said nodding to the book. "I've had all your professors write down their whole year's lessons plan and send them to me so I could plan your life by the hour. And I've made sure you're given special consideration for lessons and homework assignments on the days you have games, especially on the weeks you are out of the country."

"That was smart."

"That's why I'm paid so well." He said with a smirk. "I'm very good at my job Reagan, you of all people should know that."

"I know you're good," I said. "But I've honestly no idea what I pay you. You could be taking my whole salary and I'd have no idea. I let my accountants figure that out."

"Yes I believe you're exacts words were, 'pay him whatever he wants I don't care how much it is I need him.'"

"Were they?" I asked blandly, but it was true.

Without Max I'd have no idea what I was supposed to be doing in life. He'd been with me from the start, even when I couldn't pay him at all. He was the first person to really believe in me, and even when I was practically a kid at fourteen refused to take on any other clients. He was the reason I was where I was today, his kind of loyalty couldn't be bought, but I was trying to pay him well for it.

"They were along those lines." He said amused tucking the planner back into his case and standing. "Well I've got to get going."

"You're leaving?" I asked feeling my eyes go wide. "Now? You're not going with me to the school?"

"Of course not." He said. "Hogwarts is a boarding school. The students go there alone. And besides. I can't run your life from there."

"But I'm not going to know anybody." I said feeling panicked.

"You'll be fine." He said kindly. "It won't be like how it was in Salem. Besides," he added with a smile. "You're rich, and you're an internationally famous quidditch star. If you can't make friends, who can?"

He had a point.

I watched as he gathered his things and stepped out of the compartment door, making sure the shade was pulled down properly before he left.

As the door slid shut I sighed and looked around the empty compartment. Max said things would be different this time, but I couldn't quite help but feel like things were exactly the same. Here I was again, on the way to school, completely alone.

I didn't know anybody, and I knew I was going to be talked about. Maybe the reasoning was going to be different now but still… it all came down to the same point didn't it? I didn't have any friends.

I sat dwelling on this miserable subject for a while, before deciding to load my things into the luggage rack.

I had just lifted the heavy trunk above my head and onto the metal rails when there was a horrible groaning sound.

"Uh oh." I said but before I could react the metal fell from the side of the train and the rack fell with a mighty 'CRASH!' and I was knocked to the floor along with several of my possessions that came 'thumping' to the ground.

I pushed myself into a sitting position just in time to hear the compartment door slide open and a concern voice asked.

"Are you alright?"

I looked up in horror to see a tall, extremely attractive boy with broad shoulders, short brown hair and warm brown eyes looking down at me in alarm.

His eyes went wide and I felt mine go wide as well. He'd obviously recognized me and was clearly wondering what to say.

Finally, the dreaded moment came when he spoke.

"Erm, hi." He said looking just as awkward as I felt.

"Hey." I said carefully, not quite sure how I wanted to handle this situation. Unlike most people, he didn't seem to be about to freak out, but I could tell the sudden appearance of a celebrity had shocked him.

"Do you err, need some help?"

He was extremely cute, and the accent wasn't exactly helping my ability to think straight.

"Do you mind shutting the door?" I asked hearing slight plead in my voice.

"Oh yeah of course." He said looking embarrassed and starting to back out.

"No, you can stay." I said quickly. "I just don't want anyone else seeing me. Lot's of reporters are out there and I just-"

"Yeah, I understand." He said shutting the door and stepping more fully into the compartment as I started piling things back into my trunk.

"Here, I can do it." He said taking out his wand.

"Oh no it's fine-" I started but he shook his head.

"No really, I'm great at these little house hold spells for some reason." He said giving his wand a flick and the trunk instantly started to repack itself. I had to admit it was much neater than how I'd originally packed it.

"Thanks." I said appreciatively as he tapped the luggage rack and it repaired itself instantly.

"No problem." He said with a kind smile and offering me a hand to help me up. They were huge, and very warm, and rough in a familiar way.

"Do you play quidditch?" I asked him eagerly and he blinked looking surprised.

"Yes." He said. "How did you know?"

"Your hands." I said letting go of them and showing him mine. "They've got the same callouses. You're a keeper aren't you."

"Yeah." He said blankly, seeming even more amazed. "How did you-"

"You're built like one." I said gesturing towards his shoulders. "Plus you all have the same sort of sturdiness about you. You just look like a keeper to me."

"You really know your stuff." He said looking impressed.

"Well I should hope so." I said taking a seat and looking up at him with interest.

He grinned.

"Yeah, I guess you of all people would know."

"What's your name?" I asked curiously.

"Oliver, Oliver Wood."

"It's nice to meet you Oliver." I said. "I'd tell you my name, but I think you already know it."

"So you… you really are then?" he asked suddenly looking embarrassed again. "You know."

"Yep." I said with a slight smile. "Reagan Williams."


	2. Chapter 2

Opov

Talking to Reagan was much easier than I thought would be. While I thought things might have been extremely awkward and she would ask me to leave her alone after a while, she was extremely nice. Like Harry, she didn't particularly enjoy being famous, to her she felt as if it just sort of happened and she wasn't exactly sure how or why. For someone so extraordinary, I couldn't believe how extremely average she presented her self.

She laughed easily, and was extremely talkative the more you got to know her, and while you expected most celebrities to be stuck up, she was incredibly down to earth.

"You know you're different than I expected." I admitted as she snacked on her fifth cauldron cake. We were two hours into the journey to Hogwarts and it seemed she'd already eaten more snacks then I'd seen Alicia eat in a year. Then again, she was probably always hungry. Her training regiment must be incredibly intense.

"What?" she asked with a slight grin. "You expected me to be like some stuck up movie star or pop star who feels like they're too good to talk to people."

"No." I said honestly. "It's just, usually in interviews your just so… cool"

"Cool?" she asked with a grin. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you're totally aloof. Nothing seems to bother you. I could never imagine you doing anything playing quidditch. You just didn't seem real. But you're actually kind of…" but I stopped myself, not sure if I really wanted to say what I was going to say.

"What?" she asked her grin starting to grow.

"You're kind of a dork."

I wasn't sure how she would take this but to my surprise she burst out laughing.

"Oh Oliver you've no idea." She said amused. "But enough about me." She said looking at me with as much interest as I felt about her. "What about you? Do you like Hogwarts?"

"It's amazing." I said grinning though feeling slightly disappointed. I enjoyed talking about Reagan's life. I finally someone who was just as obsessed with quidditch as I was. Maybe even more so. "You're going to have a lot of fun there."

"I doubt it." She said blandly and I frowned.

"Why not?"

"School's not really my thing." She admitted her cheeks suddenly going red. "I'm so bad at it everyone at my school was convinced I was a no-maj."

"A what?"

"A no-maj," she said giving me funny look. "You have them here, I know you do. You know, people without magic."

"Oh." I said. "You mean a muggle."

"A what?" she asked curiously.

"Never mind." I said shaking my head. "But I'm sure you'll be fine." I said and when she looked uncertain I continued. "The professors are really good, even if you're a bit behind, they'll get you caught up in no time."

"Well no time is exactly what I have." She said with a bitter laugh but then realize how she must have sounded because she quickly added. "Sorry. I don't mean to complain to you."

"No it's fine." I said quickly. "I don't mind."

It was kind of nice knowing she was human.

"So do you play and quidditch at Hogwarts?" she asked curiously. "My school didn't have a team."

"We do." I said. "I'm captain of my house team."

"House?" she asked.

"It's where you're sorted when you first get to Hogwarts." I explained and she looked interested. "There's four houses, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, and Slytherin. You all work together to win points and take classes together. Each house has a team."

"What house are you in?" she asked curiously.

"Gryffindor."

"Hope I'm in Gryffindor." She said wistfully.

I grinned.

"Well I'm sure whatever house you end up will be extremely excited to have you."

"Yeah." She said but I was surprised when she didn't look excited about this. In fact, she stared out at the rain flecked window and looked rather depressed.

"What's wrong?"

"Huh?" she asked looking distracted as she turned back to me. "Nothing it's just, most people aren't like you."

"What do you mean?" I asked curiously.

"Well," she said awkwardly. "People when they see me, they tend to kind of freak out. They can't talk normally like you and while I'm at games or signings, or even on the street it's ok because there I'm Reagan the quidditch player. But at school..."

"Yeah I get it." I said cutting in as her sentence faded. "You just want to be normal."

"Exactly." She said.

"Yeah I've got a team member who's pretty famous and that's the attitude he seems to have about it."

"Who?" she asked curiously.

"His name is Harry Potter." I said. "You probably don't know who he is-"

"Oh I know who that is," she said brightly. "That kid who beat your Voldemort guy, right?"

I winced and she looked alarmed.

"Are you ok?"

"We don't say his name here."

"Why not?" she asked looking perplexed.

"I-" I started but I found I really didn't have an answer. "I don't really know why. He just did a lot of horrible things."

"Well so did Morgana." She pointed out. "We learned about her to but you guys aren't afraid to say her name."

"Just don't say it." I said shaking my head and she shrugged.

"Whatever. But so he's on your team?" she asked with interest.

"Yeah." I said then scowled. "When he isn't almost killing himself."

"I feel like there's a story there." She said grinning.

"Oh there are several." I said and I started explaining all of Harry's mad adventures that he'd had from the start of school.

"So you've never won the quidditch cup?" she asked waving aside the fact that another celebrity lived at the school and also that a mad dangerous dark half dead wizard had almost managed to kill him twice.

"No." I said fretfully. "I was so sure after Harry had joined the team that we'd have it, but he keeps accidentally almost getting himself killed."

"Well that's rude." She said irritated. "You'd think he'd learn by now just to keep his nose out of trouble."

"Exactly!" I said. "Finally someone understands!"

"Yeah, if I'd missed games for outside injuries, I'd be fined." She said frowning.

"Fined?" I said. I'd momentarily forgetting she was a professional.

"Yeah. We get fined for all sorts of stuff, it's annoying, but it's what they've got to do. Keeps the players honest."

"Have you ever been fined?" I asked curiously.

"Oh yeah." She said grinning.

"Really?" I asked interestedly. "For what?"

"Dangerous plays, too many minutes on the field, too many games played under my contract, you name it." She said. "I've probably done it."

"That sounds like a lot of rules."

"You've no idea." She said and she went on an impassioned rant about the international circuit and how they were ruining the fun of the game by all of the rules and regulations they were imposing on her, but she had to put up with them if she wanted to play.

"It's maddening." She said eventually.

Just then the train started to slow.

"Are we there?" she asked curiously looking outside at the stormy sky.

"We shouldn't be." I said frowning as she stood and looked out the window.

The train suddenly jolted to a stop and she was thrown off her feet and into my lap.

"Sorry." She said her face burning bright red as she clambered to her feet.

"Don't worry about it." I said and she looked back out the window.

"Do people usually board the train after we leave London?" she asked curiously.

"No." I said standing up and looking out the window as well, but suddenly the lights flickered off and the compartment was plunged into darkness.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"No idea." I said shrugging. "Maybe the engine's having trouble."

But then suddenly, the compartment grew very cold and I felt a sense of in coming dread.

"Oliv-v-ver." Reagan said her voice shivering as she wrapped her arms around herself. "What's g-going on?"

"I don't know." I said but I thought I knew. I'd learned about these creatures in defense against the dark arts last year. But what on earth would dementors be doing here? "Stay here."

I started to feel my way towards the compartment door when it slowly creaked open, and suddenly, Reagan started to shiver harder.

The compartment became colder and dark as something tall and hooded entered the compartment and I saw my breath clouding in front of me. The feeling of dread in creased and in the distance I heard Gryffindors groaning two years ago after our humiliating defeat for the house cup, and McGonagall canceling the quidditch matches last year after the chamber of secrets had been open.

Next to me I heard Reagan hit the floor.

"Reagan!" I shouted in horror as she started twitching, tears streaming from her closed eyes looking terrified.

The hooded figured paused for a second, then looked down at her.

"Get away from her!" I shouted pulling out my wand and pointed it at it, and fully aware of how pathetic my patronus was, I shouted. "I know how to beat you!"

It hesitated for a second but then backed out of the compartment obviously deciding it didn't want to risk a fight.

I kneeled next to Reagan, unsure what to do, but after a deep shuddering breath, her eyes flew open and she sat up looking wildly around.

"Are you alright?" I asked her as she wiped tears from her eyes.

"I think so." She said quietly, but she was still shaking.

"Here." I said shrugging off my jacket and placing it on her shoulder.

"Thanks." She said hugging it closer to herself. "What was that thing?"

It was still dark in the compartment, and still very cold, but when her eyes met mind, I didn't really seem to mind. I couldn't help but think she looked rather pretty even with tears still clinging to her lashes.

"It was a dementor." I said quietly, helping her to the seat.

"What did it do to me?" she asked. "I thought I was, I mean I saw…"

"It drains the happiness out of people." I explained. "And makes them live their worst memories over again."

Even as I said this, part of me was wondering what she saw, but I didn't dare ask. She was still shaking a tears continued to slide down her cheeks every few seconds.

"I'm sorry." She muttered eventually. "You must think I'm totally lame."

"No." I said taking the seat next to her and putting my arm around her. To my surprise she leaned her head against my shoulder and closed her eyes. "It's fine."

"You know you're really nice Oliver." She said quietly.

"Thanks." I said awkwardly, not really sure how I was supposed to react now that one of the most famous people in the wizarding world was sitting here with her head on my shoulder and wearing my jacket.

"You're a good friend." She said quietly. "I think you're the first real friend I've made in a long time."


	3. Chapter 3

Opov

Reagan was a quiet for a while after the train started moving again, but after I convinced her to eat some chocolate, she seemed a little like herself again.

We continued to talk of quidditch and anything else that came to mind, and eventually I'd shown her some of the diagrams I'd been working on over the summer.

"These are amazing." She said flipping through the pages and looking at some of the original designs I'd come up with. "Is this a variation on the Dragon wing defense?"

"Yes." I said surprised she'd picked up on it. Not even Alicia had.

"I can see by the positioning of the beaters. I think it's genius." She said looking up at me with a bright smile. "What else have you worked out?"

We continued to go through the strategies well into the end of the journey, and when we finally reached Hogsmead station I felt a little disappointed. The journey had come to an end too soon.

I stood up and began to grab my things, then stopped, noticing she hadn't moved.

"Are you staying on the train?" I asked her grinning.

"I was told I should wait for someone to collect me." She shrugging. "Apparently the head master is worried my presence at the back to school feast might be a little distracting so I'll be sorted in private tonight right before practice."

"You have practice?" I asked in shock. "On your first day?"

"Yeah." She said. "I'm supposed to just drop off my stuff, wait for someone to take me to the school then take a port key to the training facility just outside of London."

"Oh." I said feeling even more disappointed. "Well good luck in the sorting, I hope you get into Gryffindor."

"Yeah," she said with a smile. "Me too."

"Maybe we could hang out some time, if you're not too busy-" I started and she rolled her eyes.

"I'm always busy."

"Oh I see." I said again disappointed but she smiled as if she'd known exactly what I was going to say.

"Oliver?"

"Yeah?"

"I might always be busy." She said grinning. "but that doesn't mean I don't make time for friends."

"Yeah." I said still feeling shell shocked but smiling. "I'll see you."

She gave me one last smile before I grabbed my things and made my way on to the station, so lost in thought I smacked into several people on my way to find a carriage.

Reagan considered me a friend?

I mean, I guess it wasn't that surprising, she was probably the one person on earth that was just as obsessed with quidditch as I was, but still… I was on a first name bases with one of the most popular quidditch players in the world. Not only that, but she'd outright told me I was her friend. Twice.

I carried this thought with me all the way up to the castle and into the great hall, where I didn't even notice Alicia sit in the seat next to mine until she said.

"Ollie!"

I jumped and looked around to see her sitting there while Angelina, and Katie joined us as well.

"What's up with you?" Alicia asked raising an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Where have you been?" She asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked frowning. "We just got back."

I'd said good bye to Reagan about twenty minutes ago and had been so preoccupied thinking about her, I'd almost completely forgotten I always met Alicia by the carriages to go up to the school.

"Yeah and this is the first time since I've seen you since the train." She said sounding a little annoyed. "I went back to find you after I'd found Angelina and Katie, but I didn't see you in any of the compartments."

Only then did I remember that Reagan had closed the blinds on the compartment door. She could have gone passed us several times searching the entire train and not known we were in there all along.

"The blinds were closed. I didn't want to be bothered." I said evasively, technically it wasn't lying.

"You and your precious diagrams." Katie said grinning.

"Yeah I expect we'll be training at all hours again this year?" Angelina asked.

"You'd better believe it." I said with a firm nod, happy to change the subject. "This is our last year to win the cup together. We have to train harder than ever if we want to-"

"Oh relax." Alicia said rolling her eyes. "This year is our year."

"Yeah, now all we have to do is keep Harry out of trouble. Or who knows what's going to happen." I said darkly. I could only imagine what was in store for him this year, but if anything was going to attack him, I'd prefer it to be after the season had ended.

"He'll be fine." Angelina said.

"Yeah Slytherin's monster's no longer on the loose." Katie pointed out. "And what are the odds of TWO teacher's trying to break through a series of obstacles to get a powerful stone then trying to kill him?"

"Never ask what are the odds with Harry." I said rolling my eyes. "Because no matter what they are, trouble finds him."

"Speaking of monsters." Alicia said her eyes going wide. "Did anyone else feel the dementor on the train?"

"Yeah." Katie and Angelina said in uneasy unison while I nodded.

"What were they doing there?" Alicia asked.

"Probably looking for Black." I muttered. Not too long ago, a dangerous convict had escaped from Azkaban and the ministry was working like mad to find him. "He's a murderer after all, they've got to be desperate."

"But why would he be on the train?" Katie asked and I shrugged.

"Well murderer or not, I can't believe they let them near us." Angelina said shaking her head.

But Alicia suddenly grinned.

"Speaking of the train. Did anyone else hear the rumor?"

"What rumor?" I asked.

"You didn't hear?" Katie asked me in surprise.

"No, what?" I asked frowning.

"It's because he was locked up by himself the whole time." Alicia said rolling her eyes. "But remember all the press we saw when we entered the platform. Well, everyone's saying it's because Reagan Williams was on the train. Remember? I told you."

She grinned excitedly.

"Can you imagine Oliver? She might actually be here. She'd be in our classes!"

I was lucky, I didn't need to answer. The double doors opened and I saw all eyes turn towards the crowd of first years. Excited talk broke out, more than I'd heard for any sorting ceremony and I frowned as some people actually stood up to get a better look at the trembling new students.

"Does anyone see her?" Katie asked.

"No." Alicia replied, she too was standing and scanning the crowd.

"Maybe she's already been sorted." Angelina said looking disappointed after she'd glanced up and down the Gryffindor table.

"What are you talking about?" I asked confused.

"Reagan." Alicia said looking at me as if I were mental and I realized I was the only one who knew she was supposed to be at practice right now.

"Maybe she wanted people to leave her alone." I suggested.

"I doubt it." Alicia said. "I read in an article that she loves meeting fans, and besides, you've seen the pictures, she seems to enjoy the attention."

"How would you know, you've never even met her." I said frowning remembering how annoyed she'd been with the press in our conversation today.

'Just smile and keep your mouth shut.' Is what she'd said to me several times when I asked her about being surrounded by the press. 'That way they can't misquote you.'

"Neither have you." Katie said and while I was tempted to correct her, I kept my mouth shut. I wasn't sure why, but the things Reagan had told me on the Hogwarts Express had seemed private. If she wanted people to know those things, she would have said them in her interviews, and I could see why she didn't. Alicia wasn't the only one who assumed things about her with little information to go on, if they knew anything about her personal life I had a feeling she'd be surrounded by a crowd of people who all thought they understood her and deserved to be her best friend.

I saw many looks of disappointment as the school slowly started to realize that Reagan was nowhere to be seen. The doors of the Great Hall slammed shut and sorting began, the roar of conversation that had started as the first years had arrived dimmed into confused whispers.

"Is that it?" Alicia asked sounding puzzled as Professor McGonagall pulled out her list of names and sat the Sorting Hat on it's stool. "Does that mean she's not actually here?"

"She has to be." Katie said. "People saw her getting on the train."

"Well then where is she?" Angelina asked frowning.

"Maybe she changed her mind." Alicia said in disappointment.

They fell silent as the sorting continued and I wondered what Reagan was doing at this very moment. Flying no doubt, honing the skills that had made her internationally famous, and caught the attention of not only girls in front of me, but the world.

The sorting went normally, which was followed by the usual warnings Dumbledore gave about the forbidden forest, and a warning about the dementors which were apparently guarding the school.

It wasn't until after the feast when everyone had finished all they could eat when Dumbledore stood, I could hear the entire crowd of students at all four tables collectively take a breath, and the room fell deathly silent. This was the last chance at an explanation, the final confirmation if Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was actually going to be enrolling an internationally ranked quidditch player.

"Now I know that many of you are under the impression that Hogwarts this year will be joined by a new student that has gained quite some notoriety over the summer."

"This is it!" Katie squealed excitedly as loud whispers broke out among the students, their focus on Dumbledore absolute. "She's really coming!"

"And pleased as I am to confirm these rumors, I expect each and everyone of you to treat her with the same respect and dignity you would your own friends."

Nobody spoke and his eyes twinkled mischievously, as if he were enjoying withholding the information everybody was dying to hear.

"Unfortunately, due to her demanding practice schedule, Miss Williams couldn't join us tonight, but I would like to congratulate Gryffindor for gaining a new-"

But nobody heard what he said next because the Gryffindor table had exploded with noise. People screamed and cheered, applauding and banging their silverware against their plate.

"I don't believe this!" Alicia said sounding faint. "I'm sharing a dormitory with Reagan William."

"Oh my god, first Harry now Reagan, this can't be happening!" Someone shouted further down the table.

I grinned slightly as the Gryffindors continued to applaud so loudly that the glass in the windows rattled and my pumpkin juice began to shake.

Reagan hadn't told me when her practice ended, but I hoped she was preparing herself, because I knew the moment she stepped through that portrait hole tonight, she'd be in for one hell of a reception.


	4. Chapter 4

Rpov

"Alright everyone dismount!" our coach yelled at us and the seven of us streaked towards the ground. Glen Grove, or Godmother as the team called him, was a short man with burley shoulders, icy blue eyes, short gray hair, and a beer gut. He used to play beater for this very team but had retired forever ago and now was the grumpiest coach I'd ever had. They called him the Godmother or 'Mum' for short, because that whenever he got upset, all of his insults took a strange Disney princess theme. Phrases like 'what are you waiting for, prince charming to come prancing along on his white horse and hand you the quaffle?' or 'I'm not your fairy godmother, I can't blow sunshine out my wand and give you talent' were all too common to hear from him. "For once you guys seemed to do a decent job tonight."

"Aw thanks Mum." Jason Styles, the middle chaser and a team captain said grinning. "That means so much coming from you."

The team laughed.

"Shut up Styles, you were the only person I was going to complain about." Coach growled but Jason looked unperturbed.

"Why's that Mum?" he asked grinning. Jason was a tall boy with dirty blonde hair and light blue eyes. Out of all the team members, he was closest to my age, being nineteen. Until this point, he'd been the youngest person to ever play for the national squad when he'd joined last year at eighteen, but he didn't seem to mind at all that I'd taken his record. In fact he seemed to be delighted to play with me.

If I was honest with myself he was very attractive, though not as good looking as the boy I'd met earlier. I tuned out the rant Coach had started against Styles and found myself wandering towards Oliver. I couldn't believe how easy he'd been to talk to.

"-you're getting lazy and arrogant. You've just been handed an amazingly talented Chaser with one hell of a left handed shot, and yet you barely use her. Do you understand what I'm saying Styles? You maybe a captain of this team but you need your team mates."

"Ok, ok Mum I get it." Jason said rolling his eyes.

Grove went on to talk about our first upcoming game, a friendly match against Peru, and I looked around at the last five members of my team.

Directly across the group huddle around our Coach was Larry Fissure, the right side Chaser and third youngest on the team. He about twenty-two if I remembered correctly and built much like Jason, tall and fit, but with much darker hair and hazel eyes. Next to Larry was Dylan Colt and Hank Latson, our beaters. Both men were in their mid to late twenties with shorter stronger builds, though they were both taller than me. Dylan's hair was light brown and pulled back into a pony tail so it didn't fall into his gray eyes, where as Hank's eyes were blue, and his hair was short, and blonde. It was spiked so much that it looked like he'd been struck by lightning during practice as he'd been flying. Next to them was our seeker Justing Lang, a tall skinny man of about twenty two, with long black hair and intelligent brown eyes that seemed to dart around everywhere even when we weren't playing and next to him was the last member of our team was Max Sound. He was our keeper, the oldest on our team at thirty-five, and the only married one out of the bunch, with two little girls and a baby boy on the way. He was the tallest on the team, with a shaved head, and dark but not unkind brown eyes. He co-captain with Jason but had seniority if anything between them became a dispute.

"The game is in three weeks." He finished looking around at us fiercely. "And I don't give a damn if it's just a friendly, this is our first debut as a new team, with a totally new dynamic. We have more fire power," he said glancing at me. "Better defense, and we'd better use it. If we do not win by at least two hundred and fifty points, I will have considered this game a failure. Am I understood?"

"Yes sir." We said in unison.

"You are dismissed." He said. "Practice same time tomorrow, and if any of you are late, you're all doing circuits."

I winced. Circuits, was a training regiment that I was pretty sure had been devised in hell. It consisted of regular exercise like push ups, sit ups, but then also extensive flying drills which ranged from free falling to dodging up to six bludgers at a time. The first time I'd had to do them I'd barely been able to walk after practice, and the others had told me it didn't get easier, ever.

We disbanded and I started making my way towards the stands where my portkey back to Hogwarts was waiting for me. I rested my Firebolt on my shoulders, holding it in place by letting my hands dangle from either side by the wrists.

"Hey Williams wait up!"

I turned to see Jason jogging to catch up to me.

"What's up?" I asked curiously. I liked Jason. Out of all of my team mates, he'd put out the most effort to make me feel welcome. I guessed that it maybe had something to do with the fact I was closest to him in age and he knew what it was like to be the baby on the team. Or maybe deep down, under the super star play boy image, he was actually just nice.

"They guys and I are going out for a drink tonight, you should join us. You know, for a little team bonding."

"I can't." I said frowning. "I've got a portkey that leaves in ten minutes."

"Oh that's right I forgot." He said grinning. "You're little miss school girl now aren't you?"

"Is that what you call it?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"I think that's what most of your teenage male fans would fantasize about yes."

"Don't say that." I said darkly.

"Why?" he asked laughing.

"I'd like to think nobody fantasizes about me at all."

"I hate to burst your bubble Ray, but plenty of them do. You're hot. Can you blame them?"

I didn't answer this, mostly because I wasn't sure what to say.

"So what house are you in?" he asked curiously.

"Gryffindor."

"That's what I was going to guess, you seem like one." He said with a nod. "I was a Hufflepuff myself. Quidditch Captain for five years." He continued proudly and my thoughts turned to Oliver. "A school record actually. We won the quidditch cup every year I was on the team."

"Impressive." I said though I really didn't know how difficult winning the quidditch cup at Hogwarts was.

"I like to think so, but school's over for me now and I don't like to live in the past. I hear they're throwing you a party this weekend." He asked and I nodded.

"That's what I'm told."

"You don't seem too excited."

"I'm not to be honest." I said shrugging. "It's the usual signing deal, meeting the owners, and network officials type thing. Not very fun, but a massive publicity stunt."

"You don't like parties?"

"Parties are fine." I said feeling my brow furrow. "Just not MY parties. I don't like being the center of attention."

"You know you're the first girl I've ever heard say that." He said amused. "Kind of a bizarre thing for a famous quidditch player, not to like attention."

"I just want to play quidditch." I said honestly.

"You know, they told me you'd say that." He said grinning. "Nice to know that it's actually true."

"Are you coming?" I asked. I wouldn't know many people there and I was hoping to have at least one acquaintance.

"I might drop by." He said grinning. "The whole team is invited and it will be interesting to see you all dolled up and pretty." He caught my expression and smirked. "Don't worry I'm not hitting on you, I'm just naturally charming."

"And modest?" I asked sarcastically.

"No, just charming." He said his eyes flashing still amused. "But if you must know Mum has given me a very stern talk about not flirting with you before you joined the team. As if I needed it." He said laughing. "You're pretty Williams, but you're not my type, far from it in fact. And besides, I need you to do my job, and I don't mix business with pleasure."

"Good to know." I said and he gave me a curious look.

"You know Mum yelled at me tonight for not utilizing you enough, what do you think?"

I shrugged. "We're still learning together, I can understand if passing to me isn't your first instinct. We just need to learn to trust each other."

"Which is why I want you to come out for drinks with us tonight." He pressed. "So we can get to know each other."

"I have to get to school."

"We can get you back."

"I'm not twenty one."

"You're in England now Williams not the States." He said grinning. "You turned seventeen over the summer right?"

I nodded.

"Well then you're an adult in the Wizarding world love." He said smirking. "And adults like to drink."

"Maybe some other time." I said. "I've got school."

"I'm going to hold you to that." He said stubbornly.

"I'm sure you will." I said amused.

"Seriously though, good luck tomorrow." He said putting an arm around my shoulders. "I know school isn't exactly your thing."

I felt my eyes go wide.

"How did you-" I started.

"People talk." He said mysteriously but when I remained unconvinced he said.

"I over heard your agent, Max, talking to one of the teachers via floo powder before practice, about why you had to be homeschooled, and how it might be difficult for you to switch back."

I didn't answer.

"Don't worry," he said ruffling my hair. "No one's going to bother you. You're a famous quidditch player for Merlin's sake. No one in their right mind would."

"Yeah, you're right." I said forcing myself to smile.

"That's the spirit." He said. "Now go back to school little girl."

"You're not that much older than me." I said indignantly.

"But I am older." He said with a grin. "I'll see you around Williams."

"See you." I said rolling my eyes but walked back to the locker room where my port key would take me back to Hogwarts.


	5. Chapter 5

Opov

No one knew when Reagan got back last night, but when I walked on to the quidditch pitch the next morning, for the first time I saw I wasn't alone.

"Should have guessed." I said grinning watching Reagan fall into a dive that was basically a free fall. She truly was an incredibly talented flier. She made it seem effortless as she pulled out of the dive at the last second, missing contact with the ground by less than a foot, but seemed completely unperturbed by the close call. She was fearless and totally in control.

"Hey." She said grinning, spotting me now that she was closer to the ground. It was a cool morning and it was early enough that the dew hadn't evaporated form the grass. There wasn't a cloud in the sky which made for a pretty spectacular view as I'd watched her.

"Hi." I said trying not to be intimidated. Talking to her yesterday, I'd forgotten just exactly who she was, but over the night I'd had time to remember especially after seeing everyone's reaction to her being sorted into Gryffindor. Seeing her on a broom now, I couldn't see how it was possible to forget.

"I didn't think anyone would be out here this early." The sun was just barely rising and I knew it was hardly passed five in the morning.

"I always try to get in an early practice before school." I admitted.

"Me too." She said still smiling. "You're actually just in time."

"I am?" I asked confused.

"Yeah." She said resting her elbows on her broom and looking at me as she hovered a few feet above the ground. "I was about to practice shooting. I could use a Keeper."

"You want me to play with you?" I asked dumbfounded.

"Yeah."

"Why?" I asked incredulously.

She looked at me in surprise. "Why not? You're a keeper, I'm a chaser. It fits right?"

"Yeah but you're…" I started but my voice faded when she raised an eyebrow.

"I'm what?"

"You." I said and she looked irritated. "I don't need to embarrass myself in front of the biggest name in quidditch right now."

"So you'd rather practice alone?"

"Not really." I admitted.

"Good." She said gracefully dismounting from her broom and picking up the quaffle resting on the ground. "Take a lap and warm up. We can toss the quaffle a few times, then head over to the goal posts."

"Ok but you can't laugh at me." I said frowning.

"Why would I laugh?" and she looked genuinely confused.

"I figure I'm not quite as good of a Keeper as you're used to."

"Would you relax?" she asked shoving the quaffle into my chest with a surprising force that knocked me back a couple steps. "Take a lap and I'll meet you back here. I'm going to let the bludgers loose."

I watched as she walked towards the equipment trunk and was surprised when she looked back at me.

"What are you waiting for?" she asked gesturing for me to get flying. "Get going."

"Alright." I said quickly and mounting my broom, half convinced this was a dream. Was I really bout to spend my morning practice with one of the most famous quidditch players in the world right now?

As I rounded the goal posts I looked down to see Reagan watching me with interest. Immediately I was determined to play my best, I couldn't stand to look like an idiot in front of her. I sped up and landed next to her and she was looking and me seeming impressed.

"You fly very well." She said.

"Thanks." I said with what I hoped wasn't too much enthusiasm.

"I was thinking." She said as she mounted her broom and we drifted towards the goal posts. "We could try out one of your plays."

"Really? Which one?"

"Well there's only two of us, so I was thinking the break away diversion you drafted. I couldn't recognize any patterns though. Did you come up with it by yourself?"

I nodded.

"Well I think it's a good idea and I want to try it." She said and I grinned.

"Go ahead."

"Oh, and, would you care if I showed some of those plays to Mom?"

"Who?" I asked confused.

"Oh. Right." She said shaking her head. "You're not on the team. Mom is what we call our coach."

"Are you serious?" I asked laughing.

"Yeah." She said a little sheepishly. "But can I? I really think they could help."

"Sure." I said grinning. "Blimey, I never thought my team would even look at them let alone the coach of a national squad."

"Well I don't know much about your team," she said shrugging. "But my team certainly will."

Rpov

Oliver and I practiced until the very last minute we could. I had to admit I was dreading going back up into the castle. Last night I'd gotten back to the castle late enough that everyone in my dormitory had been asleep, and I'd woken up before everyone else. I hadn't seen anyone but Oliver so far, and I didn't want to have to deal with people freaking out on my first day. I wished everyone could be like him. I just wanted a normal school experience, but then again that might not be possible for me.

"We should probably get back up to the school." Oliver said checking his watch after we'd landed and picked up the gear.

"You're probably right."

"Are you nervous?"

"Extremely."

"How can you be nervous?" he asked incredulously. "You can play in front of thousands of screaming people, but you can't go to breakfast?"

"Games are easy," I said shrugging. "All I have to do is play quidditch. I'm GOOD at quidditch. Breakfast involves meeting people, trying to keep it together and not say anything stupid or ruin my image or disappoint a fan."

"You're right that does sound stressful." He admitted.

"Yeah no kidding." I said as we dragged the equipment back to the broom shed. "One wrong move or sentence and I'm a social pariah. And everyone will know about it because everyone knows who I am. One misquoted statement, and it's all across the front page of whatever magazine decides they don't want the public to like me anymore and that's it for my reputation."

"You won't be a pariah." He said. "Everyone will be begging to be your friend."

"You know people keep saying that." I said nervously. "But no one seemed to want to be my friend at my old school."

"Well then the people at your old school were idiots." He said as we walked up the lawn back towards the Castle. "Because you're awesome."

"Thanks Oliver." I said smiling at him but the smile vanished as the castle loomed over head. "Oh god," I muttered as we stepped inside and made our way to the great hall. "Oh god I don't think I can do this."

"You'll be fine." He said reaching out for the door and looking at me steadily.

"You know, I think I'm just going to skip break fast." I said quietly.

"The longer you wait the worse it's going to be."

"But-"

"Just get it over with." He said.

"Fine." I said uncertainly and he opened the door.

The hall was huge filled with chattering people all smiling and excited to see their friends after a long holiday, but suddenly, the noise died and one by one their heads all turned to look at us.

"Oliver." I said quietly.

"You'll be fine." He said bracingly, but I caught his expression and I saw he looked shocked.

"I think this was a bad idea…" I muttered as the whispering started.

"You had to get it over with."

Finally it happened.

"It's her! Reagan Williams!"

People stormed from their seats and flooded out out the Great Hall to try and get pictures and autographs from me. Oliver was lost in the crowd as I was jostled by the hundreds of students that were all pushing quills and parchment at me, trying to get my attention over the others.

"Reagan over here!"

"Can I get just one autograph!?"

"You can come sit with us!"

I smiled and ignored the questions and signed whatever I could reach including several back packs and the forehead of an extremely small first year.

"Ok, ok guys." I said laughing because I knew they would find it funny too if I laughed. "I've got to get going."

But I was saved by a clipped voice saying.

"That is ENOUGH."

One of the teachers, Professor McGonagall if I remembered correctly from my sorting last night, had come down from the staff table and was now shooing the students back to their tables.

"Honestly, how dare you lot make such a racket in the great hall. Don't make me take house points away from each and every single one of you honestly." She looked annoyed and shepherded me towards the Gryffindor table. "This way miss Williams."

There were several groans of disappointment, but eventually the crowd died out and dispersed back to their tables and I was allowed to finally eat breakfast. I made my way towards Oliver but found he was already sitting with another girl.

She was pretty, with long blonde hair and nice features that looked some how familiar. I hesitated for a second wondering if I was being too clingy as a friend, but he smiled and waved me over and feeling relieved I scampered over to the pair.

"That was insane." Oliver said as I took the seat next to him and the girl he'd been sitting across from dropped her fork with a loud clatter.

"Honestly that was almost tame." I said shrugging. "At least this time no one got hurt."

"Oh my god." The girl said her eyes going wide as she stared at me. "You're, you're really here, you're. oh my god."

"Are you ok?" I asked the girl as she started taking deep breathes.

"She'll be fine." Oliver said, but he was looking at the girl in concern. "This is my best friend Alicia Spinnet. You're kind of her hero."

"Oh." I said smiling. "You're the one who's on the quidditch team?" I asked and she nodded still looking as if she was having trouble breathing. "I think I saw you in my dormitory."

Again she nodded.

"Breathe Alicia." Oliver said but before she could respond, we were joined by several people.

"Oliver!" said a pretty black girl with long braided hair taking the seat next to Alicia. "You didn't tell us you knew Reagan."

"We met on the train yesterday." He said.

"Hi." I said looking at the girl, her friend who's hair was also black but with blue eyes. And the pair of red headed twins that had slid into the seats around us. "I'm Reagan."

"Trust us," one of the twins started and the other one finished or him. "We know."

"I'm Angelina." The black girl said and then introducting the girl next to her. "This is Katie."

"And we're Fred," the second twin started. "And George." The first one finished.

"And you've already met Alicia." Oliver said grinning. "Reagan, meet my team."

"Alright let me guess." I said looking at them each in turn. "Oliver is the keeper. So that must make you three the Chasers." I said looking at the girls who were staring at me in a sense of heroic adoration. "You two are definitely beaters." I said glancing at the twins who nodded. "Which must mean the last one must be your trouble making seeker."

The twins laughed while Katie looked at me with wide eyes and said.

"How did you do that?"

"It's a gift." I said grinning. "Where is your seeker?"

"He's down there with out brother." One of the twins, I think his name was George, said nodding down the table to where three kids were sitting, a boy with messy black hair, a girl with brushy brown hair her nose buried in a book, and another red head that kept glancing in our direction. When he noticed me staring his ears turned red. "You wouldn't mind giving us an autograph for him would you? I reckon he knows you don't want to be bothered because of how much publicity annoys his best friend, but we know he'd like one."

"Sure." I said taking a piece of parchment out of my bag. "Who should I make it out for."

"How would you spell, ickle Ronnie kins?" Fred asked looking towards his brother but I rolled my eyes and spelled out 'Ron' and wrote a short message and finished with my signature.

"Thanks Ray." George said and I was glad the twins at least looked completely comfortable with me as they each gave me a clap on the shoulder.

"We'll see you around." Said Fred then they made their way towards the red head that I could only assume was their brother.

"We've got to get going to." Angelina said looking at Katie. "We've got charms club this afternoon and we want to make sure we can get an early meeting time slot so it doesn't interfere with practices.

"That's what I like to hear." Oliver said grinning and the two girls drifted off after asking for an autograph each.

"You gonna live?" he asked looking at his friend who'd seemed to calm down slightly and nodded.

"I'm sorry." She said looking at me apologetically as I finally was able to reach for a pitcher of milk and I made my self a bowl of corn flakes. "It's just… I've been a fan of yours ever since you were on the Salem Storm Riders." She said.

"Oh wow." I said grinning. "You really are a fan."

The Storm Riders was the first real professional team I'd ever played on. They were minor leagues, but had a radical fan base that, with the help of Max, got me booted pretty quickly towards the national circuit.

She nodded.

"Yeah, when I was fourteen, my dad and I went to a game over summer vacation and it was the first time I'd ever seen you play."

"That's why you look familiar!" I said and her eyes went wide suddenly. "I remember, you were one of the ones that waited for like an hour for the meet and greet while our seeker threw a fit and refused to come out."

"You remember me?" she said her eyes going even wider.

"Yeah." I said. "You're dad kept calling you 'Lissy' and we took a picture together."

"That's right." she said looking utterly stunned, then reaching into her bad for a binder. "I still have it."

She pulled out an old photograph where I saw her and I, several years ago, smiling next to each other and a message I'd written.

Good luck in tryouts this year, hope you make your school team

We can't leave quidditch to the boys can we?

R. Williams

"That was the first year I made the team." She said grinning. "Even if I was just a reserve, but I still got to play a little. Of course Oliver made the team."

"Only because they needed a keeper." He said modestly.

"And you're amazing." She said looking at him indignantly.

"I'm not that good."

"You're very good." I said looking at him incredulously. "You're better than half the keepers I played against back home, and they were professionals."

He smiled and his ears went red.

"So what's it like?" Alicia started excitedly. "You know, being a professional. I bet you play all the time." She finished jealously.

"Not as much as you think." I said. "I mean, yeah we practice a lot, but really, there's so many obligations you have to fill. Team meetings, signings, photo shoots. A huge part of the job is really just dealing with the press."

"But it must be exciting." She pressed. "You know, playing in front of all those people."

"I never really notice them during the game." I admitted. "I'm too focused on what's going on in the field. It's after the game is over that I really think about the fans and it's either the best or the worst feeling ever, because you either just won and made everyone happy. Or lost and disappointed about fifteen thousand people all at once."

"That sounds stressful." Oliver said frowning

"You get used to it." I said shrugging.

"I imagine the photo shoots are pretty fun too. Do you ever get to meet any famous people while you're there?" she as eagerly.

"Sometimes." I said frowning. "I met an underwear model once when I was fifteen. He was doing a shoot right next to mine, but he was half naked the whole time so we didn't really chat."

"Bet he was still nice to look at though." She said.

"Yeah well that's true." I said grinning and continued to eat.

Alicia continued to interrogate me over breakfast, and while she seemed nice enough and definitely one of the biggest fans for myself I'd ever met, she wasn't like Oliver. She didn't seem that interested in me as a person, just as a quidditch player, but I was used to this.

"So what's your first class?" Oliver asked cutting across her when she started to ask about the time it was reported I had a cousin in the ministry.

"Transfiguration." I said feeling nervous, that had always been my worst subject.

"Us too!" Alicia said brightly as the bell rang. "We can walk with you."

"Alright." I said.

She continued to talk excitedly about famous people and playing in front of thousands of fans, but I couldn't help but notice the way Oliver was watching her as she spoke. Grinning slightly, as of she was the only thing he could see.

'Well I could have seen that one coming.' I thought not disheartedly, but definitely a little disappointed. He was cute and one of the first people that genuinely seemed to care about me as more than just a quidditch player. If he liked Alicia then he probably wasn't too eager to have another girl hanging around all the time. 'I guess I'll have to try and find some other friends as well.'


	6. Chapter 6

Opov

After spending just one week with Reagan, I could understand why she didn't enjoy being famous. It was like being around Harry, but almost ten times worse. Everyone wanted to talk to her, everyone wanted an auto graph. We couldn't walk five steps without someone stopping her to sign something or begging to take a photograph. At first I didn't understand how she put up with it, but now I was starting to see.

In these moments, she'd revered back to 'Cool' Reagan, as I liked to think about it. The girl I thought I'd gotten to know through all the magazines and fan articles. Her smile was always camera ready, she was still nice and fun loving, but she wasn't nearly as excitable or willing to talk about her personal self. She answered questions the way she was supposed to, but I seemed to be the only one who noticed she'd seemed to mast the art of inviting people in, while keeping them at an arms length. She wasn't willing to commit to any topic too seriously, probably because she didn't want her opinions reported in the 'Prophet' and her dorkiness factor seemed to be toned down to an almost zero. She didn't talk to them like she did to me. She wasn't being fake, just distant. But it was almost like she was an entirely different person.

Alicia didn't seem to notice.

"She's so nice." She said watching as Reagan left to get ready for some party that she was forced to attend this evening.

It was Saturday and we'd all been studying in the library together for a transfigurations essay we'd been assigned but Alicia had mainly been distracting Reagan. "You'd think she'd get annoyed stopping for all those pictures and autographs, but she signed them for everyone."

"Yeah she's really cool."

"I can't believe we're going to get to see her all year."

We had several classes with Reagan and she sat with us for all of them so far.

"I can't believe out of everyone she wants to hang out with us." She continued still positively boucning with glee. "She could hang out with anyone, even the most popular kids in school and she hangs out with us."

This had surprised me as well. Many people had invited Reagan to sit with them in classes and in the Great Hall during meals but she always chose to sat with Alicia and I. While Alicia and I had never been unpopular, it was strange knowing that the most popular girl in school right now wanted to spend time with us. It seemed like the social balance was out of order.

"Yeah it's mad." I agreed.

We lapsed into silence for a moment, both probably thinking about Reagan before I changed the subject.

"So. Do you want to get started on our potions essay next?"

But just as she was bout to respond, a tall boy with blonde hair and green eyes had made it to our table.

"Hey sweetie, you ready?"

"Almost." Alicia said as she started to pack up her things. "Sorry Oliver, I forgot to tell you. Aiden and his friends invited me to watch their quidditch trails. We can work on the essay tomorrow though."

"Yeah sure." I said trying not to sound as disappointed as I felt and I watched miserably as, holding hands, she and Aiden walked out of the library together.

Now alone, I sat for a few minute wondering what I should do. I knew is should really finish my essays, but I couldn't focus. I kept wondering how Reagan's party was going to go and trying to distract myself from thinking about Alicia and Aiden.

Eventually I decided to go back to the common room.

My thoughts drifted to Reagan again as I walked. She hadn't seemed to be looking forward to the party, in fact, she seemed to be rather dreading it. It was supposed to be in her honor, for joining the team. Lots of famous people were supposedly going to be there, but again, this seemed to irritate her more than excite her.

It was strange to me really. Alicia would have jumped at the chance to be invited to a party that exclusive but Reagan had told me she would have rather spent the time catching up on school work. She wasn't lying when she said she had trouble with it.

She wasn't stupid, but she often got distracted in class. She had a hard time paying attention, and half the time I saw her drawing out diagrams or sketching pictures of people flying on brooms. Half the time when I looked at her, I could see her staring out the sky and I knew she was thinking about flying. She really did live and breathe quidditch.

She also didn't have very much confidence. When it came to practical magic, most of her spells seemed half hearted. Simple things like summoning and turning on lamps she could do without thinking, even when she was practicing in the common room with me she would be fine, but the second she stepped into the class room and had to do magic in front of people, she sort of fell apart.

This surprised many people I could tell, including Alicia. They were so used to her being so amazing, they expected her to be amazing at everything.

I tried to cheer her up when people started whispering about it in class. I could tell it got her down, but they'd get over it soon. People would get used to her, just like they did with Harry. God knows how many stupid things he'd done and people moved on quick enough.

I was just thinking about this as I stepped into the common room and heard.

"Hey."

I looked up to see Reagan, in a gold dress her hair pulled back in a pretty up do, and for the first time in memory she was wearing make up.

"Uh, hi." I said utterly astounded, closing my mouth once I'd realized it had fallen open.

"How do I look?" she asked turning a little awkwardly in heels so I could see her from every angle.

"Gorgeous." I said honestly.

"Thanks." She said with a glowing smile that looked nothing like the ones I was used to seeing in the photographs. "Well I've got to go. If I don't make it in time for my own party Max is going to kill me."

"Have a good time." I said stupidly as she gave me one final smile then walked towards the portrait hole no doubt to catch a port key to where ever the party was.

"You know you should put your tongue back in your mouth Oliver." Said an amused voice and I turned to see the twins who were sitting by the fire with Angelina, looking at me in amusement. "It's not a good look."

"Shut up Fred," I said guessing which one of the twins had spoken and they grinned evilly at me.

"Where's Alicia?" Angelina asked curiously.

"With Aiden." I said shrugging. "Do any of you lot want to go out to the pitch?"

"Sure." They said in unison.

"Alright meet me back here changed and ready to go in five." I said heading up to my dormitory to go grab my quidditch gear.

It was only until about half way up the steps that I realized that my heart had been beating rather quickly.

Rpov

Flashing lights, loud music, and multi colored drinks filled the room along with people dancing to the blasting beats. The toasts were done, the papers were signed, and the guests had been told to enjoy themselves, so now was the time things were getting a little crazy.

"Rayray!" someone shouted excitedly and I felt Jason's arm go around my shoulder as he pulled me close for a quick picture then let go of me.

"You having fun?" I asked as he picked yet another drink and downed it in one setting.

"I always have fun." He said with a roguish smile while winking at a pretty actress that walked by. "But what about you? I notice you do not have a drink in your hand."

"I think you've been drinking plenty for the both of us."

"Very true." He said with a laugh putting his arm around me again and steering me towards the front of the club where the stage was located. "And speaking of fun, there's someone I want you to meet."

"Really?" I asked smiling for another few pictures and waving at several people I was supposed to get to know.

"Yes." He said stopping in front of a group of tall, very attractive boys. One of them turned to look at us. "Reagan, may I present to you superstar and my personal friend Drake Dennings, the lead singer of the popular band Spellbound."

"Trying to set me up again?" the boy asked. He was tall and like Jason his hair was dirty blond. He was extremely attractive with green eyes that were looking at me with interest. "Although in this case, I can't complain. How do you do?"

"Hi." I said going for a hand shake but blushing when he kissed the top of my hand and smiled.

"I must say it's quite an honor to meet you Miss Williams." He said still with that charming. "You've made quite a splash in our media lately, though it's rare to meet a girl who is as beautiful as she is talented."

"You flatter me." I said trying to stay neutral with what I said.

"I speak merely the truth," he said stepping closer.

"Drake and his band are actually preforming pretty soon." Jason said with a smirk. "It's why they were invited."

"Yes, well we all can't be A list celebrities can we?" Drake said rolling his eyes.

"I wouldn't say that." I said. "Your songs made it to the top of the charts even in the United States. There isn't a witch or wizard either here or in America that hasn't heard your name. If that's not A list I don't know what is."

"You're very kind. We actually wrote a song in honor of this occasion." He said smoothly. "I do hope you enjoy it."

Just then, one of his band members motioned towards him and he said.

"Well that's my cue, we've got to get ready. I'll see you around Jason," he then smiled and said. "Miss Williams."

He left with his band and Jason looked at me.

"What do you think?"

"I think I've been on the same team as you for a week and you're already trying to set me up." I said laughing.

"Reagan." He said in a disapproving tone and putting his arm around my shoulder again. "You're young, you're hot. You should be tearing through the boys at this part yet your sitting on the side lines like a wall flower."

"What if I like the side lines?" I asked him raising an eyebrow.

"I've seen you play." He said with a smirk. "There's nothing sidelines about you."

Just then the lights went out and the music went dim as the stage was illuminated with several spot lights and I saw that Drake and his band had taken the stage.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen!" he said into the microphone and everyone stopped their conversations and looked at the stage. "It is my great pleasure to be standing in front of you tonight in honor of one of the most talented individuals I have ever had the pleasure of meeting." He smiled at me and one of the spot lights in the room switched and flooded towards me as Jason let go of me and Drake the crowd in a round of applause.

Cameras flashed and I smiled, waiting for the applause to die out.

"I would like to lead everyone in a toast to the wonderful Miss Williams." He said as a waiter handed him a glass of champagne and everyone else raised their glasses in my direction. "Reagan," he said with what seemed like the utmost sincerity. "I think I speak for everyone in this room when I say that it was truly and privilege to meet you tonight, and that your team can thrown one hell of a party." Several people laughed, including Jason and me. "Now we actually have a little treat for you all. For those of you who don't know, we are the band spellbound and we actually wrote a song inspired by our young little miss Williams here, and I would just like to say that we all here, expect nothing but great things from you."

More applause.

"And without further ado, for the first time ever, spellbound is proud to present our new single. 'She's so fly'! 1,2! 1,2,3,4!"

The drums and guitars blared into life as the music started playing and after a few fast paced bars, Drake started to sing.

 _She's so high up above me_

 _And she doesn't even know_

 _That I'm waiting below here_

 _Wondering how it would go_

"So?" Jason asked me curiously, practically having to shout over the music. "What do you think. Pretty cool guy huh?"

"Yep." I said amused watching him wink at me and continue singing. "Definitely a cool guy."

"But?" he asked frowning.

"But I'm not exactly sure how much of a cool girl I am." I said remembering how Oliver had called me a dork when I felt like I was being myself around him.

"Reagan." He said in disbelief. "You're one of the most famous quidditch players in the world."

 _Because she's so fly, she's so fly_

 _She's so high up in the sky_

 _I can't help but stare_

 _Wish I could meet her there_

 _And hope she cares_

 _Hope that I'm the kind of guy_

 _That could make her land_

 _Make her understand_

 _What she means to me_

"So?" I asked.

"So!" he said incredulously. "You're at the party of the year, and it's all for you! You even have the biggest name in music right now writing a song about you just so he could meet you! People don't get more cool than you. Cool is the world in which you belong."

 _'Cuz the way she moves_

 _when she's passing you_

 _is unbelievable_

 _But I'd rather die_

 _Then let her go by_

 _And loose my chance_

 _Because she's so fly_

I looked at Jason, then at Drake who was smiling at me and continued singing until the song ended to a positive roar of screams and cheers.

Maybe Jason was right, maybe this was where I belonged. So then why did it feel so wrong?

I thought of Oliver and the train ride to Hogwarts with him, well, the second part of the train without the dementor. Spending time with him had been much more fun than this stupid party, for the first time in what felt like forever, I'd really talked to someone besides Max. I couldn't help but feeling that it was in that world which I truly belonged.


	7. Chapter 7

Opov

The next week passed by in a busy blur. Quidditch practices had started and already the teachers were increasing our work load. If I wasn't on the pitch, I was usually in the library with Reagan or Alicia. I could now see why they said the seventh year was extremely difficult. It felt like all we did was homework.

"You can do it." I said encouragingly to Reagan as she stared dubiously at the chair arm chair in front of us.

"I dunno Oliver." She said frowning. "What if I mess it up?"

"You won't." I assured her.

"I did yesterday." She said looking even more dejected and I had to stop my self from wincing as the memory of chair legs and splinters flying in all directions came back to me.

"Yeah well no body was hurt." I said and she raised an eyebrow. "Well, permanently." I added. "But don't think about that."

We were supposed to be charming the chairs to walk on their own, but so far Reagan was the only one in the class who hadn't managed it. I could tell it was getting her down, and the more upset she became, the worse her spell work was. Yesterday, she'd finally gotten so frustrated the chair had exploded giving several people some pretty nasty splinters.

"I can't believe I have to do this." She said looking around at our class mates who were all riding their chairs around the room. I was trying to ignore the fact that Aiden and Alicia were sharing a love seat in the corner. "Why is it so much easier to score a quaffle than it is to make this damn chair move."

"I think you're the only one here who thinks that." I said amused.

"Yeah, well I already have a job, so why do I need to be here?" she muttered darkly and I frowned.

She often made this comment when she was upset, that she didn't need school. Alicia always laughed when she said it but for some reason this bothered me. I knew she was already getting paid more than I would probably ever make, but still, I thought she should finish school. It was important.

"Well I'm glad you're here." I said shrugging, trying to change the subject and she smiled slightly. "Why don't you take a break?" I asked. "I can practice for a while."

I'd already worked out the spell yesterday but I figured it might do her some good to think about other things for a while. She always seemed to do better when she got a fresh start. She was less frustrated at any rate.

"Alright." She said flopping into the chair. "What are you up to today?"

"Just quidditch practice." I said honestly. "We're going to work on diving after quaffle drops today."

"Sounds like fun." She said with a grin as I enchanted the chair and it slowly started walking her towards the back wall of the class room.

"What have you got on your docket?"

"I've no idea anymore." She said with a sigh.

Since Reagan had come back from the party I'd barely seen her outside of classes. This week alone she'd had practice every single day, plus an interview, a guest appearance on a radio show, a photo shoot, and a press conference for the anti bullying foundation she'd started back in the U.S. that was now taking root with her in England. Quidditch for Caring Hearts was actually a pretty impressive company, it was a non profit that spread awareness for bullying inside magical schools, she'd funded it fully herself when it first started and now had sponsors ranging from the nimbus line to cauldron cakes.

"What does your little black book say?" I asked and she pulled her planner out of her bag as the chair ambled passed it.

"What day is it?" she asked meekly while rifling through the pages.

"Friday." I said and she located the page.

"Today we're watching film." She said as I followed her to the blackboard. "We're watching the last game we played against Peru before the friendly this weekend."

"That doesn't sound too bad." I said.

"Not if Mom doesn't make us stay for more than eight hours." she said and I felt my eyes go wide. "It's was a very long game."

"Well you're lucky it's the weekend after this." I said. "Otherwise you'd never finish your homework."

"I don't know how I'm going to finish it now." She said with a sigh. "I've got to practice for charms. Finish that essay for McGonagall, plus I need to draw diagrams for Hagrid and Sprout."

"Yeah that's a lot." I admitted. I had a similar course load but at least I had so much more time to do it. What if the game lasted as long as it had before? It was her first one, she had to be feeling the pressure. "You nervous?"

"Yeah." She said as I removed the charm and she looked up at me. "I'm not ready for that herbology test at all."

"I'm not talking about school." I said frowning. "I'm talking about the game this weekend."

"Oh," she said and looking at me as if she was wondering why I would be asking her that. "No. Why would I be?"

"Because it's your first game with a new team."

"So?"

"So!" I said so loudly a few people looked over and I lowered my voice. "How can you not be nervous."

"It's just quidditch." She said giving me a look as if I was supposed to understand this. "I'm GOOD at quidditch. Why should I be worried?"

"So you're not nervous at all?"

"Not about the game no." she said shrugging.

"You're weird." I said looking at her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked frowning.

"You can go out and play in front of tens of thousands of people and that doesn't matter to you, but you hate doing magic in front of just a few people."

"Magic is hard for me." She said flatly. "Quidditch isn't. and besides, with that many people you just don't notice what other people are doing. I'm too focused on the game and if I mess up my team is there with me, here…" She sighed and looked out the window her eyes narrowed slightly and her face in an expression I couldn't quite read. "Here it's just me, and I can see everyone who's watching."

"Well I don't really understand it." I said shaking my head and she shrugged. "but you know you're wrong about one thing."

"What?" she asked turning to face me.

"You're not alone here. You've got me."

"True." She said with a smile.

"So don't worry about what anyone else is thinking. Just do the spell as if it's only you and I here."

"Alright," she said uncertainly. "I'll try."

"That's the spirit." I said as she stood form the chair and turned to face it.

She raised her wand and squinted at it, and slowly but steadily, the chair started to jerk forward.

"You're doing it!" I said and as her smile widened, the chair started to move faster and more smoothly.

"I can't believe it." She said bouncing happily and I was suddenly very strongly reminded of Alicia as Reagan looked at me her eyes shining. "I did it!"

The chair started to pick up speed and she pulled me into an excited hug.

"THWACK!"

We both froze and turned to see that the chair, which had reached a full on sprint in her excitement, and ran straight into the wall and broken off several of it's pieces.

Professor Flitwick, the charms instructor, came striding over looking a little amused. "Excellent work Miss Williams." He said tapping what was left of the chair and it flew back together. "While I admire your level of enthusiasm, I prefer if we could have at least one lesson where all of our chairs remained intact."

"Yes professor." She said going bright red as people started to giggle, but shooting me a grin when I gave her a thumbs up from behind his back.

"Carry on everyone." He said but not before giving her an encouraging smile and saying. "Five points to Gryffindor Miss Williams."

"For what sir?" she asked in surprise. It was the first time she'd won any points for Gryffindor.

"For finally showing some of the confidence in the classroom as you do on the pitch." He said with a distinct pride in his tone. "Good luck this weekend with your first match."

Rpov

Charms seemed to pass fairly quickly after Oliver had helped me get the chair to move. I couldn't believe it. I'd never learned a spell that quickly, in fact, I was almost a little disappointed when class ended and I couldn't practice anymore. I was getting really good.

"So there's been something I've been meaning to ask you." Alicia asked as we entered the Great Hall for lunch.

Heads still turned as we made our way to the Gryffindor table but for the most part, people were used to me being at Hogwarts now. I was rarely stopped in the hallway anymore, less people were asking me for autographs, which meant I had a little more free time. I spent most of it with Oliver and when she was around, Alicia.

"What is it?"

"How is it you were born in then United States, but you can play for England in the World Cup?"

"My father is English." I said shrugging.

"I didn't know that." Oliver said with interest.

"He's an ambassador so I was told to keep it quiet." I said with a shrug. "He and my Mom met when he was a representative for the ministry in the United States. They were only married for two years, so he went back to England and she raised me in America."

"They must be really proud of you." Alicia said and I shrugged.

"They're not?" Oliver asked frowning as we sat down at the table.

"My mom never really got the whole quidditch thing." I said staring not at my friends but at the sandwich I was now constructing from the food on the table. "And I never really had much to do with my dad."

"But they support you, right?" he asked uncertainly grabbing a piece of chicken.

"Not really." I said through a bite of what felt like mostly bread. "I've kind of been on my own since I was fifteen."

"You ran away?" Alicia said her eyes wide as she filled a goblet of pumpkin juice.

"No, nothing like that." I said looking at her and putting my food down in shock. "I've just sort of handled my own life when I got the apartment to move to play for the national team. Or Max handled it anyways. No one really stopped me."

"So you don't talk to them at all?" Oliver asked.

"My mom sends me owls every once and a while. But for the most part not really."

"That's so sad." Alicia said and Oliver threw her a look which she missed.

"It's fine." I said shrugging again. "It's kind of nice to have that kind of freedom. I had quidditch to keep me in line. I wasn't happy in school or at home so it kind of worked out for the best."

I could tell Oliver was debating if he wanted to say something, but he seemed to decide against it and Alicia changed the subject.

"So are you excited for your game this weekend?" she asked excitedly.

"Of course." I said with a grin and returning to my sandwich. "It should be good. I think Jason is finally getting used to having someone on his left he can rely on."

"It's so weird how you just casually reference famous people." She said looking at me with wonder.

"We're just people Lis." I said with a slightly exasperated look at Oliver who grinned.

"I know." She said with a sigh. "But I don't know how you can get anything done with Jason Styles flying to your right. He's so dreamy."

"Don't you have a boyfriend?" Oliver said looking something just short of annoyed as he said this.

She didn't seem to notice. It was clear he liked her and that she had absolutely no idea.

"Yes, but I mean c'mon. If you had the chance to date a super hot quidditch player wouldn't you?"

"I'm not dating Reagan am I?" He pointed out and I blushed.

He thought I was hot?

"That's different." Alicia said.

"How?" Oliver asked raising an eyebrow.

"Because she's Reagan." She said gesturing at me in exasperation as if this made things obvious. "She's so… normal."

"We're all normal." I pointed out frowning but she didn't seem to hear me.

"I mean, any celebrity right now. That you could date. Besides Reagan. You wouldn't do it?"

"No." he said.

"Why not?" she asked giving him a weird look but I decided to save him from the awkward line of questioning by saying.

"So are you guys free this weekend?"

"Probably." Alicia said turning to me as Oliver gave me a thankful look. "Unless Ollie here makes us practice."

"I was hoping you guys could come to the game."

"WHAT?!" Alicia practically shrieked and several people looked in our direction while Oliver looked stunned and asked. "Really?"

"Yeah." I said. "Everyone on the team gets a few seats reserved in the top box for friends and family and I was hoping you two would come with to watch."

"Of course!" Alicia said excitedly and Oliver nodded in shock.

"Great." I said. "I'll have Max send you the tickets and set up a port key."

"Are we allowed to leave the castle?" Oliver asked Alicia.

"Max will figure it out." I said waving his worries away. "He always does."

"Alright." He said still sounding shocked. "Well then we'll be there."

"Excellent." I said with a smile. "Who knows, you guys just might be the good luck charm that helps me win my first game."


	8. Chapter 8

Rpov

"You have got to stop making promises that I have to then fulfill." Max said following me into the stadium. I was suited up, had my firebolt over my shoulder, and had half tuned him out as I mentally prepared for the game ahead of me. "Hello?" he asked. "Reagan, are you listening to me?"

"No." I said honestly picturing scoring for what must have been the thousandth time tonight. I didn't see the concrete structures around me as we went under the seats towards the locker room. My mind's eyes was on the feild and it had practically taken over my vision.

"Do you know how difficult it was for me to set up a portkey for your friends?" he asked indignantly. "All the paper work I had to fill out?"

"You make promises on my behalf all the time." I said. "I don't have time for interviews yet you say I'll be there."

"That's me doing my job." He said going through his planner writing another event. "And you always have time for it. I'm very good at my job. Speaking of which, you've got a q and a with-"

"Not now Max." I said cutting him off and pulling my hair back. "I'm done talking."

"Alright." He said shutting his book, "But I'm coming to Hogwarts tomorrow to go over your schedule."

I didn't answer but he took my lack of resistance as acceptance and made his way towards his seat while I made my way to the locker room where I found several of my team mates already waiting.

"God I love your game face." Jason said grinning when he spotted me. "You get this whole princess warrior look. It's very sexy."

"Shut up Jason." Anson said rolling his eyes then looked at me. "How you feeling?"

"Fine." I said. "Where's Mom?"

"He's in the coach's office." Larry responded while Hank, who was sitting on the wooden bench in front of the lockers, pulled his robes over his head. "He's waiting for us all to get here before he says anything. Dylan and Justin should be here soon."

Just as he finished his sentence, the locker room door opened and in walked Dylan and Justin both talking and fully dressed. As if he had sensed them Coach walked through the office door and slammed it shut behind him.

"Alright ladies."

"If we're all ladies, I think you should make Reagan a gentleman." Jason said vaguely.

"Shut up Styles."

"It's only fair, don't you think Ray ray?"

I didn't answer, not that Coach gave me time to.

"If you don't shut your mouth, I WILL bench you Jason." He said and Jason smiled.

"Alright." He said innocently.

"Back to what I was saying." Coach continued. "Tonight should be an easy victory if you work together, I'm looking at you two," he said glancing at Jason and me. "Peru doesn't have a lot of fire power but they've got a good defense and a damn good keeper so we need to break through their ranks early and hit them hard." He looked at me. "This is why we brought you on and why we're paying you so damn much so you'd better not disappoint. Is that clear?"

I nodded, again choosing not to speak. I didn't like to talk a lot before games. I knew most of my team mates chalked it up to nerves but I just thought it was a waste of mental energy that could be spent visualizing for the game.

"Excellent." He said. "Watch out for their right side Chaser, he's their best hitter. Williams, I expect you to shut him down. Fissure we'll need you on defense tonight, so do what you do best. The rest of you, support William and Styles, they're our best shots. Alright?"

There were a few nods and a chorus of yeses.

"Then get out there and start warming up." He said gesturing towards the door of the locker room and we each walked one by one out to the field where thousands of fans surrounded us screaming and cheering.

I scanned the crowd wondering if I'd be able to see Oliver and Alicia. It was a weird feeling, finally having someone other than Max watching me. But then I made eye contact with Jason who'd lost his usual cocky smile and saw that it was replaced by his version of game face.

"You ready?" he asked mounting his broom and for once not playing to the cameras that were flashing or to the crowd. For once he was being serious, he was ready for a game

"I was born ready." I said and he grinned.

"Lets go then school girl." He said taking off.

I shot off after him and while usually I didn't notice people in the crowd, a sudden movement in the top box caught my eye and I turned to see Alicia and Oliver, who were sitting quite close to Drake, Jason's guest, waving wildly at me.

I grinned and waved back then flew towards the other chasers to warm up.

We tossed the quaffle with with Anson for about ten minutes, took a few shots, but then the whistle blew and we took our positions. The ref was saying something, and I could hear the dull roar of the crowd. I saw flashes of cameras while the announcer said something in the distance that I was ignoring.

There was a sharp whistle, the quaffle was thrown into the air and the game had begun.

Opov

"Oh my god can you believe these seats?" Alicia said in one very fast breath as we waited for the game to start in the top box. "I think that's Drake Dennings over there. And that's the minister of magic!" she hissed. "Oliver, we're in the same seats as some of the most important, famous people in the world. Can you believe that?"

The honest answer was no. All I could do was look around at the stadium from the best seats I'd ever had at a quidditch game. We would be completely level with the game play. If I leaned out just far enough, I would have been able to touch one the players.

"It's nice to have a famous friend isn't it?" she asked with a grin. "Do you think Drake would talk to me if he knew I knew her?"

I couldn't answer. I was still in shock.

"Oliver?"

We were sitting in the top box of an international game as the personal guests of one of the players.

"Oliver…"

When exactly had this happened?

"Mate are you listening to me?"

When had Reagan Williams and I gone from people who'd met on the train to good enough friends to give reserved tickets to?

"Are you going to say ANYTHING?" she asked hitting me on the shoulder and I glared at her.

"What was that for?"

"You know I hate it when you ignore me." She said moodily.

"You don't have to hit me." I said indignantly.

"How else was I going to get your attention?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

That I didn't have an answer for. In the background I heard the announcer reading an advertisement for Olivander's wand shop, but it was drowned out by the loud cheers that rang out as the national team walked out onto the pitch.

"There she is Oliver!" Alicia said excitedly grabbing my arm and shaking me as she pointed down to the pitch where Reagan was talking to one of the team captains Jason Styles. "Oh my god she's talking to Styles. How does she even focus? He's so attractive!"

I rolled my eyes, but luckily she didn't notice.

"There they go!" she said excitedly as they mounted their brooms and started to warm up.

I watched Reagan fly with that same sense of intimidation and admiration I always did when I saw her in the air. She really did make it effortless, I'd never seen anyone fly like her.

"Oliver!" Alicia complained as she waved rapidly to get Reagan's attention. "Are you just going to stand there or are you going to help me?"

"Right." I said waving too and she seemed to notice.

She looked in our direction then smiled when she saw us. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Drake Dennings, the lead singer for the insanely popular pop ban spellbound give us an interested look.

"She sees us!" Alicia said happily as Reagan waved back then flew off to warm up with her team.

"Do you know Reagan?" said a voice and we both turned in shock to see Drake Dennings leaning over a seat to talk to us.

"Oh my god." Alicia started her face going bright red. She loved Spellbound. "I erm-"

"We're friends of Reagan yes." I said explained while Alicia, who's face was getting redder by the second, nodded. "Why do you?"

"We've met." He said with a charming smile that made Alicia giggle like an idiot, but I, for some reason, didn't like. "I can't say I'm not looking forward to getting to know her more."

As the two teams warmed up, Drake flirted shamelessly with Alicia while interrogating her about Reagan, and she seemed all to happy to give him any answers she could.

When he leaned away for a second to talk to a model that sat next to him that apparently was another friends of Jason Styles, I glared at Alicia.

"What?" she asked her eyes going wide.

"Can't you tell he's playing you?" I asked her. "He's only talking to us to get information about Reagan."

"So?" she asked. "At least he's talking to us."

"You're unbelievable." I said angrily.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked looking hurt.

"You're willing to give him anything he wants just because he's famous." I said darkly.

"I don't see what the problem is." She said looking just as annoyed. "It's not like I'm telling him anything important."

"Do you ever think that maybe Reagan doesn't want to be talked about?"

"She's famous Oliver." She said giving me a look as if this were obvious. "She's going to be talked about. She knows that."

"But that doesn't mean we get to. We're her friends Alicia." I said just as indignant. "she tells us things she doesn't tell anyone else and he knows that." I said glaring at Drake. "That's why he's asking all these questions, he knows we know things that he can't figure out from the tabloids because Reagan doesn't want them there. You're playing right into what he wants."

"I still think you're overreacting." She said but she looked guilty when she spotted Reagan on the pitch.

"We should both just keep our mouths shut about her ok?" I said looking around the box. "You never know who is listening or why they're asking what they're asking about her. What if one day we ran into a reporter?"

"Alright." She said looking a little mutinous but agree nonetheless.

"Good." I said eventually and watching as the players lined up in their positions as the ref blew the whistle and made her way to the center of the pitch.

"I'm so excited." Alicia said returning to her usual bubbly manner. "I haven't seen Reagan play since she was in the minors. She was amazing back then, I bet she's even better now."

"Yeah." I said. I'd only seen Reagan play once, as a last minute substitution for the last game we'd played against the United States. We'd beaten them pretty badly, but in the ten minutes Reagan had been put on the pitch, she'd scored five times. Part of me wondered how that game would have ended if she'd played the entire time. "I bet she is."

The whistle blew as the ref tossed the quaffle into the air, and the players streaked after the ball.

"And play starts!" the announcer said "Styles, gets the quaffle. He passes it to Fissure, Fissure reverse passes it to Styles. Azuga hits a bludger at him but it misses!"

"Where's Reagan?" Alicia shouted and while I scanned the players as the announcer continued to list the name of the players, but I didn't see her either.

"I dunno." I said feeling worried. So far she hadn't done much.

"Styles goes for goal! He's faces Marca and the keeper Callo, will he go for it?"

There was a sudden groan from the crowd as Styles dropped the quaffle.

"What just happened?" I asked in horror. Styles never messed up that badly, he was one of the best Chasers England ever had.

"Unbelievable!" the announcer said. "Styles drops the quaffle and-" but suddenly, someone shot up from under the play, a streaking blue and white blur. There was a loud 'CLANG' as the quaffle soared through the middle hoop on the Peruvian side and suddenly, Reagan appeared behind the keeper, grinning as she flew to give Styles a high five.

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" the announcer shouted over the roar of applause. "A BRILLIANT EFFORT BY THE CAPTAIN A NEW TEAM MEMBER. WILLIAMS SCORES 10 NIL ENGLAND!"

"I don't believe it!" Alicia said dancing happily and pulling me into a hug.

"Me either." I said my eyes wide watching as Reagan, still grinning, easily intercepted a pass from Marca, tossed it to Styles, and they continued easily weaving in and out of Peru's defense on their way back to the goal. "She used my play."

All through the evening, the game went like this. Styles and Reagan seemed to be able to read each other's mind as they played. They didn't need to talk, they just knew where each other were going to be, and several more time tonight, Reagan seemed to pop out of no where just in time for what looked like a truly impossible pass from Styles, only to score. I wasn't sure which was more impressive. The amount of precision they used in their formations, or the amount of goals they were producing. Not ten minutes into the game and they were already up by 60 points.

That being said, we were lucky so much was happening because the game didn't last very long. About a half an hour later our seeker, Justin Lang, pulled out of a spectacular dive ending the game at 460 to 30. The fans were cheering like mad as the players left the pitch.

"Can you believe that game?" Alicia asked as we were lead by Reagan's agent down to the team locker rooms where we'd take a port key back to Hogwarts. "I've never seen two players connect like that. It was like they had the same brain!"

"Yeah." I said grinning. "It was pretty spectacular."

"Spectacular is what she's paid for." Max said amused as he showed us into a gray room lined with black metal lockers and was already filled with several people including the entire national team, and most of the top box with Drake Dennings and the model he was sitting next to.

"Reagan!" Alicia said tackling her into a hug when she found her in mid conversation with their keeper Anson Sound. "You were amazing out there!"

"Thanks Alicia." She said laughing and hugging her back.

"You really were." I said clapping her on her shoulder.

"Spanking good performance." Said a voice and we looked up to see Jason Styles, who'd seem to take interest in the commotion, had come over to investigate the new people in the room.

"Merlin's beard." Alicia muttered letting go of Reagan, and for what had to be the hundredth time tonight, her face went a boiling scarlet as she spotted the famous Chaser.

"I don't believe we've met," he said said looking amused at Alicia and sticking out a hand for me to shake. "Jason Styles, you must be Oliver and Alicia."

"He knows my name." Alicia said looking as if she might faint.

"How do you know us?" I asked taking his hand and was surprised by the strength of his grip. I guess now I knew why he only ever dropped the quaffle on purpose.

"Because little Ray Ray here never shuts up about you two." He said amused and Reagan's cheeks went a little pink. "We all went out for a pint after practice the other day, and all she could talk about was her new friends at school. Especially you." He said giving me a significant look then shaking hands with Alicia.

"Me?" I asked in shock but I didn't get to explore this line of conversation because Drake Dennings had finally come over, as I somehow knew he would.

"Reagan! Jason!" he said putting his arms around both their shoulders, but some how seeming to leave his arm only around Reagan after a few moments had passed. "Great game you two. Those Peruvians didn't know what hit them."

"We are only as strong as we are united." Jason said with surprising modesty from what I'd heard of his interviews, then with a smile added, "Little Ray Ray here was a bit of help wasn't she?"

Reagan rolled her eyes but it didn't seem to bother her. In fact, she simply looked amused.

"Well mate. Joke all you want, but I think we all know who the real star out there was." Drake said giving Reagan's shoulder a little squeeze. "No offense." He added with a smirk.

"Why do I invite you anywhere?" Jason asked but looking only a little irritated.

"Because I'm incredibly charming." Drake said with what was a very charming expression indeed.

I felt my eyes narrow. Alicia was staring at the two boys as if together they formed God, but I couldn't help but have a very strong feeling of dislike as Drake's arm dropped lower towards her waist.

She didn't seem to notice however, because at that moment we all jumped and he lifted his arm away from her as someone shouted.

"Anson says we're all going out tonight! Drinks on him."

I turned back to Drake and Reagan, but was pleased to see he'd seemed to have given up for now and was keeping his hands to himself.

"You guys going to come?" Jason asked looking at Reagan, Alicia, and I.

"Sure." Alicia said looking star struck but Reagan shot her an amused look before saying.

"I don't think so. We've got a port key to catch. Max would kill me if we missed it, he went to a lot of trouble."

"Well actually." Said a clipped voice and we turned to see her agent standing right behind me. "The genius of a field manager managed to lose the portkey, so I'm currently trying to arrange you three a trip back to the castle tomorrow morning by floo powder. So you're free to do whatever you want tonight."

"Excellent." Drake said this time managing to slide a hand around Reagan's waist. "You lot can spend the night with me."

"Thanks for the offer," Reagan said smiling her interview smile. "But I have a place in London myself."

"We'd love go to out though." Alicia said speaking for us and by Reagan's expression I could tell she was about as excited about the prospect of going out as I was.

"Great." Jason said. "We'll all go back to get ready and meet at the club at ten?"

"What club?" I asked.

"That's the name of the bar they all like to go to." Reagan said to me under her breath. "It's called 'the club' it's very confusing."

"Ah." I said.

"Sounds good." Said Alicia and Reagan raised her eyebrows at me.

"Just let her have her fun. It's just one night." I muttered.

"You don't understand Oliver." She said quietly as Alicia started flirting pretty heavily with Jason. "A night out with you guys is not the same as a night out with these people."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you'd better hope you photograph well." She said darkly. "Because they're going to be a lot of cameras."


	9. Chapter 9

Opov

What Reagan called her 'apartment' was a massive penthouse in the middle of London, complete with her own private pool, full fitted kitchen, two guest rooms and a massive living room that had not only magical items, but a muggle entertainment system as well.

"Blimey Ray." I said looking around as she dumped her quidditch things by the front door and looked around at the apartment appearing unimpressed. "How much do they pay you?"

"Enough." She said cagily when I caught her eye and she started making her way to what I assumed was her room. "Now Alicia," she started. "You can borrow something of mine if you want to change, Oliver, I'm sorry but I think you're out of luck."

"I'll be fine." I said. I had no intention of dressing up and trying to get my picture taken. In fact, I was trying to look as unremarkable as possible tonight.

"Well I'm definitely changing." Alicia said following Reagan back to her room while still looking around in wonder.

Her eyes met mine and she mouthed. 'Can you believe this?' then quickly scampered off after Reagan.

As the girls changed, I looked around on the walls to see several photos of Reagan and previous teams some of them signed by other players. I knew she'd started out young, but it was still insane to see the photos of a fourteen year old girl arm and arm with men in their mid to late twenties, all smiling and wearing the same uniforms as a team. It was hard to believe someone so tiny had turned into the girl that had been playing tonight. But then again, the trophies on the mantel didn't lie.

I stopped when I saw a picture on the mantel that didn't match the others. She was much younger, probably ten or eleven, with two other girls each of them holding broom sticks and wearing quidditch robes. Both girls were blonde, one with brown eyes, the other blue and they were arm and arm with Reagan looking like the closest of friends.

"Do you want anything to drink or eat while you wait?" I heard Reagan ask and I jumped.

"Bloody hell Ray," I said turning and she gave me a strange look. "You gave me a fright."

"Sorry." She said grinning slightly.

"I thought you were changing." I said wondering why I felt guilty. I hadn't been doing anything but looking at her pictures, there was nothing wrong with that.

"Alicia's taking a shower in my room so I'm going to use the guest one." She said gesturing to the towels in her hands. "You ok?"

"Yeah." I said.

"'Cuz you look like I caught you with your hand in the cookie jar." She asked her grin growing.

"Yeah." I said again. "I'm fine."

"Alright." She said giving me a funny look but walking towards the guest bathroom. "Feel free to watch TV or something while you wait."

"Alright." I said while privately wondering what a TV was.

She walked towards the guest bathroom and for the next hour or so while she and Alicia milled around the house looking for shoes and bracelets, I sat awkwardly not really sure what to do with myself. When ever I waited around for Alicia to get ready at her house I'd always had her parents to talk to or her little brother but Reagan lived alone.

Part of me ever wondered if she got lonely without her family, but the way she always talked about her team, it seemed as if that's who she considered family. You could certainly see it here, in the photos that hadn't made it to the press. She might have been young but she looked so happy.

"You ready?"

I turned to see both Alicia and Reagan were dressed up in heels with short black dresses and their hair elaborately done with curls and bobby pins.

"Yeah." I said feeling my mouth go dry. They both looked extremely pretty, in fact, I couldn't decide who looked better. All I knew was that I was extremely in over my head.

"Let's go then." Alicia said excitedly clopping over to me in her heels and taking my arm as she charged me towards the door, but I couldn't help and look over my shoulder at Reagan's expression. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she looked amused at Alicia's eagerness.

Ok, maybe I could decide…

Rpov

"You call this pub?" Oliver asked me incredulously as we reached 'the club' and he saw the line that went around the block as people waiting to get into the building. Every time the door opened, multi colored lights and music flooded onto the street. He looked thoroughly intimidated.

"Look at this line." Alicia said disappointed. "How are we ever going to get in?"

"Come with me." I said gesturing towards them to follow me towards the front of the line.

"We get to skip the line?" Oliver asked me.

"We should be on the list." I said.

"I've never been on the list anywhere." Alicia said excitedly as I walked up to the bouncer.

"Where do you think you're going?" someone about four people back asked but he was drowned out by.

"It's her! Reagan! Over here!"

"Can we get a picture?"

"What do you think on your latest win?"

Cameras flashed and I smiled while the bouncer opened the door for us. Alicia was looking frozen in surprise but Oliver was already dragging her through the door. The music was deafening when we got inside.

"Where are the others?" Oliver almost shouted at me.

"They should be in the back!" I shouted back pointing towards the VIP section.

We pushed our way through the crowd lit by strange bubbles that were filled with what looked like fairies and were floating around the dark, densely packed room. Hundreds of people were dancing, and together they seemed to pulse with the beat.

We made it to the VIP section and it seemed we were the last to arrive. The music was slightly less deafening up here.

"You made it!" Jason said happily as I slid into a seat next Drake. "You ladies look lovely."

"Thanks." Alicia said flattered and they struck up a conversation about how she'd seen him play while he was still at Hogwarts and how impressive he'd been.

"I must say I'm surprised." Drake said looking at me with interest.

"Are you?" I asked vaguely waving away a waiter who was offering me a drink.

"Yes. I didn't see you as much as a party girl, but here you are, two big events in a row."

"Well that's what the public wants isn't it?" I asked. "Me to be in the spot light."

"So you're like me huh?" he asked and I gave him a questioning look. "You don't want to be here, you have to be."

"And Jason invited you." I said and he grinned.

"Yes, that too."

"You don't like parties?" I asked. "I would have though you of all people-"

"Well you of all people should know," he said with a cocky smile. "Not to believe what you read in the papers."

"So if you don't like parties." I asked curiously. "What do you like?"

"Well I could say flying." He said casually. "You know if I was trying really hard to impress you."

"Oh really?" I asked grinning.

"Really." He said somehow seeming closer than he was before.

"And what are you doing?"

"Trying really hard to impress you." He said his smile growing. "But I'm terrified of heights."

"I have a hard time picturing you being afraid of anything for some reason."

"It's true." He said but he didn't seem embarrassed. "And the last thing I need is for you to invite me on the pitch one day and see what a coward I become."

"You think I'll be asking you to fly with me?"

"I was hoping you might consider it. You know, before I told you my darkest inner most secrets."

I laughed.

"Is it working by the way?" he asked seeming pleased with himself.

"Is what working?"

"Me, trying to impress you?"

I thought for a moment then smiled.

"How 'bout, if you ever come up and join me in the air, you can find out."

"She's devious." He said with a laugh. "I like it."

Just then Oliver sat down next to me looking annoyed.

"Someone should really remind Alicia she's got a boyfriend back at school."

I glanced over to see Alicia was still chatting with Jason who like Drake, seemed to be getting closer to her the longer they talked.

"Every time I look at them I half expect them to be snogging."

"I don't believe we've been properly introduced." Said Drake leaning over me and holding out his hand to Oliver. "Drake Dennings."

"Oliver Wood." Oliver said shaking it briefly. He still looked annoyed but I couldn't help but think he still looked rather cute. Like an irritated puppy.

"You two must be friends from school." he said looking at Oliver with interest, as if he were sizing him up.

"Must be?" Oliver asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well yeah," he said. "No offense mate, but if I don't know your name before you got into this room, to be here you have to know someone."

"None taken." Oliver said and it looked as if he meant it. "I wouldn't want this madness anyways."

"I take it clubs aren't really your thing?" Drake asked.

"No." Oliver said sourly and Drake, for some reason, smiled.

"Come with me." He said standing and offering a hand to help me up.

"I don't need to be babied." I said raising an eyebrow.

"Oh I'm well aware that you could probably kick my arse into next week." He said amused. "But that doesn't mean I'm not a gentleman."

At this Oliver snorted.

"Problem?" Drake asked.

"Anyone who's ever seen you in the papers I don't think has ever accused you of that."

"Perhaps not." He said with a slight smile. Unlike Oliver who seemed to be getting more irritated by the second, Drake seemed to think this exchange was a bit of fun. "But unlike Miss Williams here, none of those girls were ladies."

I stood up on my own, and Drake lowered his hand and turned to Oliver his eyes glittering.

"You're a quidditch player, aren't you?" he asked

"Yes." Said Oliver flatly.

"I thought you must be." Drake replied with a sarcastic smile.

"Why?"

"Because I've met many quidditch players, and they're always so protective of their friends."

….

Drake took us to the roof top of 'the club' where hardly anyone was allowed to go and there was far much more room to breathe.

He and I had talked for a while, and while I knew he saw Oliver as a third wheel Oliver remained stubbornly in place until eventually, Drake said he should probably head out. He had a recording session tomorrow in the morning and wanted to say good bye to Jason before he went home. Secretly I was sort of glad Oliver stayed. I didn't know how I felt about Drake yet and it was nice to have Oliver there as a sort of buffer just incase things progressed a little too quickly.

It was now almost one in the morning, and I was exhausted. I was worn out from the game, but Alicia had begged us for another half an hour so we returned to the roof top and were waiting.

"Sorry about all this." I said apologetically gesturing helplessly towards the building. We were standing on the roof top looking at what little stars the light pollution from London could show us.

"It's not your fault." He said shrugging. I'd borrowed his jacket and let my hair down which was now being picked up by the slight breeze. "Alicia was the one who wanted to come."

"Still." I said yawning. "It was my teammate who invited us."

"It was still nice of you to bring us."

"You don't seem to be having much fun."

"Yeah, well, I'm sorry I probably should have been more grateful. I mean you got us in to the game for free and-"

"Is it Alicia?" I asked cutting him off and he froze. "I know you like her, and I know that you know I know it." I said looking at him.

"Is it really that obvious?" He asked scratching the back of his neck looking uncomfortable.

"So is that why you were so upset tonight?" I asked him preferring not to answer the question. "Because she was so wrapped up in all the famous guys?"

"No." he said eventually. "I'm used to Alicia being caught up in other people. I just-"

"What?" I asked curiously.

"I just don't like that Drake guy." He said eventually and I looked at him surprised.

"Drake was the reason you were upset?"

"Yeah," he said crossing his arms over his chest and seeming to want to look anywhere but at me, he finally picked a spot and stared at the ground in front of him. "He was all over you tonight and I just don't want to see you getting hurt. I mean I don't know if you've seen some of the pictures that have come out with him…"

"The papers don't get everything right." I said with a sigh. "In fact, the mostly get it wrong. They never tell the full story."

"Well a picture is worth a thousand words." He growled.

"Yeah, I know." I said quietly. "I've seen them."

Even in the United States I'd seen pictures of Drake at parties with topless models, kissing random girls, and getting into just general trouble in the party scenes.

"It's just it's obvious he's interested in you." Oliver said eventually. "And I don't want you getting hurt over someone like that." He said bitterly. "Just because he's a good talker. You're too good for him anyways. Pop singers like him, that are wanna be rock stars are a knut a dozen but someone like you…" he paused. "That's one in a million."

I looked at Oliver. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he was leaning against the railings scowling. Again he had that irritated puppy look that made it hard for me not to smile. As if someone was trying to take his favorite toy away and he was upset about it.

"Just be careful alright?" he said eventually.

"Alright." I said quietly.

I hadn't known Oliver for very long, but I couldn't help but feel grateful I had a friend that was so concerned with my well being.

We stood together for a while, talking about nothing in particular until Alicia came up and said most of the team had taken off.

"Thanks so much for letting us stay here." Alicia said as I tossed her and Oliver some extra pillows for their guest bed rooms.

"Yeah Ray." Oliver said. "Thanks for everything."

"No problem." I said yawning.

"Is there anything else you need before you go to sleep?"

"Nope." Alicia said brightly while Oliver shook his head.

"Well then I'll see you two in the morning." I said stepping back into my room, but even after I turned the lights off and got under the blankets, I found I couldn't sleep.

"That's it." I muttered after two hours of tossing and turning before I got out of bed, grabbed my broom and intending to go on a late night flight, stepped out into the main part of my apartment. But as I stepped out on to the terrace, I found I wasn't the only one awake.

"Oliver?" I asked in shock and he turned. "What are you doing up?"

"It's the city." He said looking down over the railings at the street lights below. "It's too noisy. I can't sleep."

"Yeah me either." I said.

"Going somewhere?" he asked noticing the broom in my hands.

"I was thinking about going for a ride." I said honestly. "But if you're awake I might as well just stay here."

"If you want to fly you don't have to stay because of me." He said.

"No it's fine." I said taking a seat on the outdoor sofa and patting the cushion next to mine.

He sat next to me and we didn't speak for a while until suddenly, he said.

"Do you ever miss your parents?"

I turned to look at him, knowing the answer he expected, and trying to find a way to word my answer so that it didn't sound completely horrible.

"My parents and I never really got along." I admitted. "Like I said. I never really had much to do with my Dad, and my Mom, well, she always wanted a girl so she could take her shopping and marry her off to some rich diplomat like she did herself. She never liked that I played quidditch. I think our separation was quiet amicable really, and the best thing that could have happened by my teenage years. She never really got me."

"So you don't miss them?"

"I miss Max sometimes." I said which was perfectly true. He was more like a father or friend to me than my agent, especially these days. "But I can't say I really miss fighting with my mother all the time, or the awkward Christmases where I'd pretend to like all the pink and frilly clothes my father would give me."

"And what about your old school?" he said. "You old friends?"

"Same situation." I said.

"You didn't have anyone?"

"I had teammates." I said thinking back and smiling with the memories of all the people I'd played with. "They were the first group of people that really seemed to accept me and be excited that I was around. Maybe that's why I was always playing quidditch growing up. But other than that," I said with a shrug. "There really wasn't much that was keeping me there, and while I miss some of my old teams, part of me is very grateful I got the chance to start over."

"Is that why you transferred?" he asked. "To get away from it all?"

"No." I said shaking my head. "I'm not running from anything Oliver. I came here because England has better quidditch teams. That's all."

"Alright." He said and I leaned my head against his shoulder closing my eyes. "Well I'm glad you did come here."

"Me too."

"You're the first person I really think I can honestly be myself around."

"You've got Alicia." I said stifling a yawn.

"I've been lying to Alicia about me since we were twelve." He muttered quietly. "Yet after five years she hasn't noticed, but you saw through me right away."

"Well you're not exactly hiding it." I said shifting getting slightly comfier.

"None of my other friends have noticed." He said quietly. "You get me Reagan, in a way no one else seems to be able to."

"Well great minds think alike." I said and I could feel myself grinning.

"I'm really glad you decided to come to Hogwarts." He said his voice barely above a whisper now.

I wanted to respond, to say I was happy I'd decided to go to Hogwarts too, but the words got lost on the way to my mouth and never came out. By the time I meant them to, I was already asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

Opov

September went by in a blur of classwork and practices and I found myself a little relieved when the first Hogsmead weekend of the year was announced. I'd been so busy, I hadn't realized it was almost Halloween.

"You going to go with Reagan?" Alicia asked curiously as we walked back from Potions together. This was one of the few classes we didn't have with Reagan who'd taken care of magical creatures instead.

"I doubt it." I said honestly. "She's always so busy."

"That's a shame." Said Alicia with a frown. "If anyone could use a weekend off it would be her."

This was perfectly true. Reagan, who had almost daily practices, had to find time to do her school work between interviews, meetings with her foundation, games, and whatever other PR obligation Max signed her up for.

So far, in the passed month, she'd missed about a week of school from traveling to other countries to play games. I didn't know how she was still functioning. She was doing homework later in the night than anyone else, but woke up even earlier than I did to fly. It had become sort of my daily duty to wake her up at some point during class.

"You should ask her." Alicia said. Alicia had plans to go out with her boyfriend this weekend leaving me alone unless the team wanted to practice, but I was guessing considering it was supposed to be fine weather this weekend that they wouldn't. "I think she's got a by week for games, which means they're resting and not having many practices."

"Doesn't she have that meeting with the representative of the firebolt company to discuss her sponsorship?"

"I'm sure she could move it."

"Move what?" said a familiar voice and we both jumped to see Reagan walking into the entrance hall just as we'd reached the top of the steps form the dungeons.

"Perfect timing!" Alicia said excitedly. "Reagan, are you busy this weekend?"

"I'm always busy." She said frowning. "Why, what's going on?"

"It's a Hogsmead weekend." Alicia explained and she looked blankly at us.

"It's where students get to leave the school and visit the village we arrived in when we first got off the train." I continued.

"We get to leave the school?" she asked looking stunned.

"On certain weekends yeah." Alicia said. "but why are you surprised?" She asked suddenly. "You leave all the time."

"Yeah but that's for work." Reagan said as if this were obvious. "So other students get to leave too?"

"Yeah." Alicia said brightly as we walked into the Great Hall for dinner. "Hogsmead is super fun, you should go with Oliver."

"Aren't you going?" she asked frowning.

"Yeah but I'll be with Aiden." Alicia continued. "Which means he'll just end up practicing if you don't go with him." She finished gesturing towards me and rolling her eyes

"We could practice together." Reagan said looking at me excitedly. "I've been wanting to work on my right handed shots for a while but Mom says it's a waste of-"

"NO!" Alicia said so firmly we both looked at her in alarm. "Quidditch!" she said in exasperation. "Is that all you two care about?"

"Yes." We answered in unison.

"Well not this weekend." Alicia said crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at us like a mother who'd caught her children doing something wrong. "You two are going to have some fun off the pitch even if it kills you. That means you," she said looking in my direction as we sat at the Gryffindor table. "Aren't going to schedule any practices this weekend, and you," she said looking towards Reagan. "Are going to make time to go to Hogsmead? Got it?"

"Alright." We said in unison after a quick, nervous glance at each other.

"Excellent." She said reaching for a baked potato and starting to eat. "Honestly." She said between bites. "I don't know what you two would do with out me. You wouldn't have any sort of social life. All you guys would do would be locking yourselves up in a room making diagrams then going to the pitch to play quidditch."

"I don't see anything wrong with that." Reagan muttered but so only I could hear and I smiled.

"So what are you two doing today?" Reagan asked Alicia and I as she piled chicken and potatoes on to her plate.

"We've got practice." I said while Alicia rolled her eyes.

"Merlin, don't look so cheerful about it." I said looking at her reproachfully.

"I wish I had practice." She said and we both looked at her in shock.

"You don't have practice tonight?" I asked in surprise and she shook her head.

"Well what else do you have to do?" Alicia asked. Even on the nights Reagan didn't have practice, she was still usually booked with homework or other obligations.

"Nothing." She said honestly. "I don't have practice and its Friday so I'm giving myself a break from school."

"And Max didn't book anything?"

"Weird right?" she asked. "I guess he thinks I could use some time off."

"What are you going to do?" I asked curiously. I was very interested to know what Reagan did in her free time.

"I honestly have no idea." She said and I found myself wondering if she'd ever had any before. "I might just sleep."

"On your night off?" Alicia asked incredulously. "That is unacceptable!"

"Why?" Reagan asked a little alarmed.

"Because you finally have sometimes for yourself!" Alicia said in wide eyed exasperation. "You know what. Why don't you and I have a girls night?" she asked.

"A girls night?" Reagan asked skeptically. I could tell by her tone she wasn't very excited. It seemed missed on Alicia though.

"Yeah, you know. Like sleep overs when we were little, paint our nails, talk about boys. Eat junk food all night."

"I thought people only did that in movies…" Reagan muttered.

"You've never had a sleep over?" Alicia asked her eyes even wider now and Reagan shook her head. "But how is that possible?"

Reagan made a non committal noise, and I remembered her saying that she hadn't had friends back in the U.S. For some reason that picture of her when she was younger and those two other girls came to the front of my mind.

"It's settled then." Alicia said. "We're having a girls night. I'll invite Angelina and Katie and get Fred and George to sneak us some snacks from the kitchens."

"Alright." Reagan said warily.

"Great! I'll go tell them now." She said and with that, she stood up and bustled down the table to find our teammates.

"You know I can't really picture you having a girls night." I said looking at Reagan who watched Alicia a little apprehensively as she found Angelina who was sitting with Fred and George.

"Me either." Reagan said glancing at me. "I'd feel much better if you were going to be there."

"Oh no." I said with a grin. "I will not be participating in the mud masks and boy talk thank you very much."

"Oh you think I want to?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"You could have said no." I pointed out.

"I'm not so sure I could have," she muttered and I knew exactly what she meant.

I liked Alicia very much, but she did tend to get carried away sometimes with her ideas. She wasn't the kind of person it was easy to say 'no' to.

"It's only one night." I said fairly.

"Then why don't you do it?"

"I'm not a girl."

"I'm barely one." She pointed out and I gave her a strange look.

"What?" she asked.

"Why do you think you're barely a girl?" I asked her curiously.

"I love sports." She said. "I barely wear make up. All my time goes in to playing quidditch, I hate boy talk, I've never painted my nails, and my idea of a good time is getting dirty and tossing the quaffle around."

"That doesn't mean you're not a girl."

"I've never even had a boyfriend." She said raising an eyebrow. "So what am I supposed to talk about?"

"Well you could talk about the magnificent Drake Dennings." I said sarcastically and she grinned. "He seems to like you."

"I did have a stalker once." She mused.

"I think I read about that." I said my eyes going wide. "Didn't he break into your hotel room back when you were like fifteen?"

"Yeah." She said. "He was lucky it was me getting my firebolt and not Max. Max might have killed him."

"See." I said with a grin. "You've got plenty to talk about."

"I still think it would be much more fun to play quidditch." She said mutinously and turning back to her potatoes.

"Yes well we both know that quidditch beats everything." I said and she smiled. "But we also have to deal with the confused lesser mortals of the world who think you should have a life outside of quidditch."

"But I don't." she said with a laugh.

"That doesn't mean Alicia isn't going to try to make you have one."

"I wish more people could be like you." She said with a sigh suddenly her face falling into a slightly disheartened expression. "You get it. You don't want me to change."

"Of course I don't want you to change." I said incredulously. "You're awesome."

Her smile returned.

I couldn't help but think she looked extremely pretty, even though she looked like she did every other day. But she was always pretty. How on earth could she think that she was barely a girl?

"What?" she asked and I realized I was staring at her.

"Nothing." I said looking down and taking a sip of pumpkin juice.

I couldn't help but notice that the smile she'd given me wasn't like the one she wore in the papers. It was pretty yes, but some how different, maybe genuine was the right word. Anyways, I'd notice she smiled like that at me a lot. Only at me around here. It was the same smile she wore in the pictures with her past team mates. I wasn't sure why it was only me, perhaps because like she said I understood her. Or maybe it was just because I was the person she spent the most time with, but either way, I hoped that it meant something.

Rpov

"Alright, Alright, it's Alicia's turn." Katie said excitedly while I tore opened my fifth pumpkin pastie.

We were all in our pajamas in Katie's dormitory. The only other girl who lived with her was in the hospital wing tonight so we had the room to ourselves, and I had to admit, I wasn't having such a bad time. Of course if given the choice I'd still rather be playing quidditch, but we'd eaten lots of junk food, charmed our hair into braids and Alicia had painted my nails a pretty blue that I knew would match my team robes if I put them on. Personally, I didn't know why she'd bothered, it was just going to chip off by my next game, but now we were playing some sort of question game where we each had to answer questions about the boys we'd dated truthfully. It was like an extremely personal interview but for once, I got to ask some of the questions.

"Who was the first boy you ever said I love you too?" Angelina asked. "Excluding family."

"Aiden." She said blushing as Angelina smirked at her and Katie giggled.

"Who said it first?" Katie said with interested and Angelina nodded.

"He did." She said still blushing. "But it took him long enough. We'd been dating for almost three months."

"Is that long?" I asked curiously.

"Long to say I love you!" Alicia protested and the other girls nodded.

"Oh…" I said. I didn't really know about the rules of love. I always thought if you liked someone and they liked you then you were together and it was as simple as that, but apparently I was wrong. After all the constant chatter about boys tonight, I learned there was a lot to dating that I'd never even thought of. How you were supposed to act around someone apparently changed when you started dating them, what you said, what you laughed at, even what sort of things you did together. It all seemed crazy and confusing. Why couldn't you just say you liked someone and just keep doing what your doing but just be boyfriend a girlfriend? Did it really have to be so hard?

"Where'd you guys first kiss?" Katie asked eagerly while I wondered why that should matter.

"The astronomy tower." She said. "We had a late night class and well… it just sort of happened under the stars."

"That's so romantic." Angelina said.

"Aiden is so sweet," Katie said enviously. "He's such a great guy."

"I know." Alicia sighed happily but I didn't say anything.

I felt a little awkward knowing how Oliver felt about her and being the only one in this room that didn't think Aiden was so amazing. I mean sure he was nice enough. I'd met him a few times and he'd seemed ok, but he didn't even play quidditch and didn't seem to like to talk about it much. He was smart, but a little arrogant about it and had laughed at me when I'd made the chair explode in charms. I couldn't help but think Oliver was a lot nicer than he was. Then again, maybe that was because I was the only one who knew about Oliver's feelings for her, so as his friend I was automatically in his corner.

But Alicia seemed to like him and I guess that was all that mattered.

"Was he the first boy you kissed?" Angelina asked interestedly.

"No." Alicia said shaking her head.

"Who was it?"

"Isn't it Reagan's turn?" she said uncomfortably.

"Well not now it's so obvious you don't want to tell us." Katie said with a smug look. "So who was it?"

"I don't want to talk about this." She said stubbornly.

"You don't have to want to talk about it." Angelina said with a laugh. "But you still have to do it."

"Fine." She said. "But you can't laugh at me."

"Why would we laugh at you?" I asked frowning.

"Because it was Oliver." She said.

"No my god!" Angelina said loudly while Katie's eyes went wide and Alicia went bright red.

"Really?" Katie asked in shock while I frowned.

"What's the big deal?"

"What's the big deal?" Katie asked while Angelina continued to stare at Alicia. "Reagan what do you mean what's the big deal? They're best friends!"

"So?"

"So that makes things totally weird!" Angelina said.

"Was he a good kisser?" Katie asked with interested apparently getting over the shock as her curiosity about Oliver won out.

"I don't want to talk about it." Alicia said burying her face in her hands.

"You have to!" Angelina protested. "You can't just tell us something like THAT and not give us details."

"Alright fine." She said looking up from her hands. "Yes he was a good kisser."

Angelina and Katie collapsed into a fit of giggles.

"Better than Aiden?" I asked curiously feeling like I was finally interested in one of the topics, and both Angelina and Katie went silent suddenly, apparently so eager to hear her opinion that the giggling could wait.

Alicia paused for a moment clearly debating on if she wanted to admit what she was about to say.

"Yes." She said eventually as the other two continued their crazy fit of giggles. "He was a better kisser than Aiden."

'Well at least you got that going for you Oliver.' I thought dryly as Angelina recovered but Katie continued to snicker.

"How did this even happen?" she asked curiously.

"I dunno." She said eventually. "It just did. It was in fourth year I'd just broken up with Jackson at the time and I was crying and… I kissed him."

"You kissed him?" Katie asked in amazement.

Alicia nodded.

"He was really good about it." She said. "Said that I shouldn't be kissing people until I got over Jackson and he was right. It's so embarrassing. I haven't even told Aiden."

"He probably wouldn't like that." I said privately thinking she made the right choice.

"But anyways, enough about me." She said grinning and looking at me. "It's your turn now Reagan."

"I don't know what you're expecting." I said shrugging. "I've never had a boyfriend."

"Have you even kissed a boy?" Katie asked curiously.

"No." I said honestly.

"Why not?" Angelina asked as if this were something she just couldn't quite believe.

"I went to an all girls school." I said. "And then all my team mates were older than me. There just wasn't a lot of opportunity."

"Speaking of teammates." Alicia said suddenly with an impish grin. "What about Jason Styles. He's pretty cute."

"And off limits."

"That doesn't make it hot." Katie said sarcastically and I felt an eyebrow raise.

"I'm serious." I said.

"You're no fun." Angelina said sounding disappointed.

"My team is like my family." I insisted. "It would be like dating my brother."

"Gross." Katie said frowning.

"Yeah," I said looking at her with mild appreciation. "Thank you, someone gets it."

"But what about Drake Dennings?" Alicia asked and I felt my cheeks go red. "He really seems to like you."

"You know Drake Dennings?" Katie asked her eyes wide and I nodded.

"Wow," she said looking at me with some sort of reverence but Angelina cut over her and said. "Is it true their latest song is about you?"

"It is." Alicia answered for me then when she caught my expression she said. "What? Jason told me. It's not exactly a secret anyways. They announced it at your signing party, I read about it in the celebrity gossip column in 'the Prophet'."

"So do you like him?" Katie asked with what I considered to be far too much interest as she glanced at me.

"I dunno." I said shrugging.

"That can't be all you have to say about it." Angelina said impatiently.

"Why?" I asked indignantly.

"Because it's Drake Dennings!" she continued as if this were obvious. "He's the lead singer of spellbound, they're really famous."

"So?"

"So?" Alicia said. "Doesn't that count for anything?"

"And he's gorgeous." Katie added matter of factly.

"But what does that have to do with him as a person?" I asked and they looked at me blankly. "So what if he's famous? We don't have hardly anything in common."

But I could tell from their expressions they didn't care about this. All they cared about was their interesting celebrity couple they wanted to force together like the rest of the world. Maybe Drake wasn't lying when he said he hated having to deal with publicity. I'm sure this happened to him all the time.

"So, there's no one you want to go out with?" Katie asked dissapointedly.

"No." I said but it felt like a lie. I couldn't help but thinking of the night I'd fallen asleep with Oliver outside my apartment. I'd woken up in my own bed, he must have brought me back inside, but before that… I don't know. It was just nice.

It wasn't a lie though… right? He wasn't interested in me. He was in love with someone else, and I certainly didn't want to date someone who was pining after another girl.

"No." I said again more certainly this time. "There's no one I want to date."

"You're so boring." Angelina said with a laugh. "I thought someone like you would be beating away guys with your broom."

"I only have to do that when they get passed security." I said shrugging and to my surprise they laughed.


	11. Chapter 11

First off I just want to say thanks to everyone who's reading especially to those who've followed/favorited/reviewed. It really helps keep me motivated to keep writing, I wasn't even sure how far I was going to get into this story but now I'm farther than I've ever imagined so again thank you!

...

Opov

When I woke up on Halloween, I wasn't sure why I felt a bit nervous. I thought of Hogsmead and felt my stomach constrict slightly. It didn't make sense, I'd been to Hogsmead before, and I was going with Reagan, by all means it should be a pleasant afternoon. But I found the nervous feeling didn't go away.

As I got dressed and waited for the girls to come down, I kept thinking about how I was going to spend a whole day in Reagan's company. I hadn't spent this much time with her since we rode together on the train. She'd been so busy I felt like I only got to see her an hour at a time these days. What were we going to do?

"She'll be down in a minute." Alicia said as she spotted me and excited people passed us making their way towards the door of the common room, all ready to spend the weekend outside the castle. "She's just writing a final letter to Max rescheduling her sponsorship meeting."

"Alright." I said trying to ignore the fact that she looked extremely pretty in a knee length blue dress and her hair pinned back. No doubt she'd wanted to dress nicely for her date, but I was surprised to find that this didn't have as much of an effect as it usually did on me. Perhaps I was still nervous about the upcoming trip.

"Well I'd better get going." She said giving me one last smile. "I'll see you tonight at the feast ok Ollie?"

"Yeah, sure." I said and she waved as she allowed herself to be swept away by the crowd and moved towards the portrait hole.

I turned my back to the crowd and looked at the fire trying to master my anxiety. What was wrong with me?

"Hey."

I jumped and turned to see Reagan smiling at me from the bottom of the girl's dormitory. She'd traded the Hogwarts uniform for muggle jeans a t-shirt and her hair was tied back into a pony tail, but instead of feeling relief what I spotted her, I felt my anxiety increase. This didn't make any sense, this is how I usually felt around Alicia when she dressed up for Aiden. Was it some sort of delayed reaction?

"You ready?" Reagan asked.

"Yeah." I said trying to smile normally, it must not have worked because she frowned and gave me a concerned look.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah." I said shaking my head feeling the anxiety go away. This was Reagan, there was no need to be worried. "I was just thinking about your next match against the U.S. is that going to be awkward for you?"

She grinned and we talked about her next few games coming up and how well we thought England would do. As I expected it was a nice time. While we both could have spoken about quidditch all day, we talked about everything. She told me about how different it was living in England compared to the States, and I told her about growing up in the countryside with all the room I needed to fly. Before I knew it, we'd made it to Hogsmead and I was showing her my favorite spots around the village.

"So the bludger actually hit the coach?" I asked laughing as she told me about her disastrous first try out with her local minor league team when she was younger.

"Yeah." She said almost letting her chocolate frog hop straight out of her hand, but catching it at the last second as we left Honeydukes. "I ducked the bludger at the last second and it slammed straight into the back of the coach's head."

"And you still made the team?" I asked incredulously.

"Yeah." She said also laughing as we made it to the street. It was a nice day but I could see a storm was brewing passed the mountains that bordered the village. "They'd seen me play before the try out and it was just a formality. Luckily for me. He was knocked out for several hours."

"I can't believe even at fourteen you were already that good." I said.

"I was only a reserve," she said modestly. "And honestly back then I wasn't even that good."

"Not according to Alicia."

"Well she likes to exaggerate." She said uncomfortably.

"I would kill to be a reserve." I said wistfully. "For any team that would take me. You realize you're actually living my dream of being a professional player?"

"You still want to be a professional?" she asked curiously handing me a few of her every flavor beans.

"Why wouldn't I?" I asked gagging as I got a dirt flavored bean.

"I dunno." She said with a shrug and looking around at all the shops with interest. "I thought maybe after seeing all the stuff I have to do, you might not want to play quidditch after school. You don't seem to like attention that much."

"Neither do you." I pointed out. "But you'd say it's worth it, right?"

"Of course." She said with a smile.

"And I'll probably never be as famous as you anyways, so it won't be a problem." I said with a laugh and she looked uncomfortable again.

"So where do you want to go?" she asked and I could tell she was trying to change the subject. She never really seemed to want to talk about her notoriety around me. With Alicia it was fine but not when it was just the two of us alone. I had a feeling she saw alone time with me as her time away from being Reagan the quidditch star, where she could just be Reagan the seventeen year old.

"We could go to the shrieking shack." I suggested. "We haven't been there yet."

"Alright." She said brightly, but her smile wavered a little when a couple of local townspeople spotted her and pointed. "Let's go." She said grabbing my hand and quickly walking away.

She was a little quiet as we walked up the hill where we could see the broken down, boarded up house. I wanted to ask her what was wrong but was afraid of the answer I would get. I knew she struggled trying to separate her school life and her professional life and I was worried that seeing those people talking about her when she was supposed to be having a weekend off might have ruined her fun. If that was true, then it was my fault. Maybe brining Reagan to Hogsmead hadn't been the greatest idea…

"Is it true you and Alicia kissed?" she asked suddenly and I was so caught off guard, I stood up from the fence we'd been leaning against as we looked at the house.

"What?" I asked looking at her, completely floored.

How had she known that?

"Alicia told me." She said looking up at me with an expression that was hard to read and I found myself thinking I must tread very carefully through this part of our conversation, though I wasn't sure why.

"Yes." I said eventually. "A long time ago. When did she tell you?"

"During girls night." She said frowning and suddenly looking back out at the shack and away from me. "Sorry, I probably shouldn't have said anything but…"

She cut herself off and I leaned back against the railing next to her.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She said with a sigh but then caught my expression she elaborated. "I just got a letter from Max this morning. He said that I'm supposed to go to this big important fundraising party for Quidditch for Caring Hearts, and I'm supposed to bring a date. Apparently Drake's PR team is gearing up to make an announcement that we're going together."

"Max is scheduling your dates now?" I asked.

"I guess."

"Shouldn't Drake have asked you?"

"That's how it's supposed to work isn't it?" she asked with a slightly bitter smile. "But then again I was never good at this stuff. I've never even been on a date."

"And now it's like one of the most important milestones of your life has been planned out for you?" I asked.

"Yeah." She said looking down then back up at me. "Have you ever dated anybody?"

"Yeah." I said honestly and again her expression was hard to read. "A couple girls over the summer but it was never too serious. I guess I always hoped Alicia would be ready when I got back to school. But that never happened."

"What was it like?"

"What was what like?"

"Being in a relationship." She asked curiously and it was my turn to feel uncomfortable.

"I dunno if I'm the right person to ask Ray." I said honestly and she smiled when I used her nickname. "I don't think any relationship I've been in has ever really been all that real."

"I always thought it was supposed to be easy." She said frowning. "You know, just hanging out, talking, spending time together but Alicia makes it seem so much more complicated. I dunno." She said shrugging and looking confused again. "Maybe she's right."

"I don't think she is." I said frowning and Reagan looked at me out of the corner of her eye. "It should be easy. Why would you want to be around someone if it was hard? You should be able to be yourself."

"Isn't hard to be around Alicia?" she asked me.

I hadn't expected that question.

"Sometimes." I said honestly. "But it's gotten a lot better this year." I admitted.

"Why?"

I wanted to tell her why. It was because of her. It was nice to have someone that I could be completely open with, totally be myself and not have to be made fun of for being obsessed with quidditch, or have to hide my feelings for Alicia, but that seemed like too much pressure for one person. A person who was already under a lot of strain. I didn't want to be the one to put another burden on her.

"I'm probably just getting used to it." I said avoiding her gaze.

"I guess that's a good thing to know." She said quietly. "That it gets easier."

This seemed a strange sentence but I didn't call her on it. I didn't really feel like talking about Alicia right now, not when she was out on a date with her oh so perfect boyfriend, but I couldn't help but feel like I hadn't made Reagan feel better but worse.

"You should go on the date." I said and she looked a me in surprise.

"I thought you hated Drake." She said.

"I don't hate him." I said wondering if that was really true. "But you need a date, and if anything he's charming. It will probably be good for your fundraiser to have him there."

"I guess you're right." She said. "I guess it is practical."

"Exatly," I said. "Take the practical approach."

But I noticed she didn't look very happy.

"I'm guessing practical isn't what you were expecting for your first date. Was it?"

"No." she admitted looking distantly at the shack seeming disheartened.

I thought for a moment, then grinned.

"Why don't we go to the quidditch shop?" I asked and she seemed to perk up. "We can look for some new gear."

"All my gear is paid for." She said standing up straighter. "It's provided by the team."

"Well then I can get some new gear." I said determined to keep her in a good mood. "I need new gloves anyways."

This wasn't true. My parents had gotten me some new gloves for my birthday this passed summer but she looked considerably happier as we walked back down hill towards Spintwitches and she talked about her favorite brands that she'd used over the years.

As we entered the village, I spotted Alicia walking with Aiden. They were holding hands and coming out of Madam Puddifoot's, and when she spotted me she waved. Reagan hadn't noticed, she was still in full flow about her first broom she'd ever gotten.

I waved back but for once didn't stop to chat. I followed Reagan, who'd spotted the store, smiled, and dragged me to the window display for the firebolt.

"Oh." She said looking a little surprised to see an advertisement of her own next to it.

It was a picture of her, with her own firebolt over her arm and smiling her familiar media smile.

"I guess I should have seen that coming. They are one of my endorsements." She said grinning slightly as we entered the shop and the bell above the door tinkled as it swung open.

Everybody, including the shop manager froze.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea." I said feeling my eyes go wide as realization hit the customers.

And it was as if my words had broken some sort of spell. As soon as I'd said something, the customers seemed to blink, look at each other, then look at us. And suddenly Reagan was swarmed.

Rpov

"I'm so sorry about that." I said as Oliver and I sat down at the Three Broomsticks after nearly an hour of autograph signing and picture taking. Somehow it had gotten out from the quiddtich store that I'd arrived and dozens of people had stormed into the store. We'd barely gotten any shopping done, and Oliver didn't even get a chance to buy his new gloves.

"It's ok." He said taking a swig of his fire whiskey. "I'm starting to get used to it."

"I can't tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing." I said frowning feeling guilty. The pub was packed and smoky, but I kind of appreciated that. In the low lights and loud talk, I doubted anyone would recognize or over hear us.

"I don't think it's anything." He said with a shrug. "Just something you accommodate for a friend. Some people have strict parents, I just have to avoid getting trampled every so often when I'm with you."

I laughed at this and he smiled.

"Seriously Ray, you don't have to apologize for things like that all the time."

"I just hate the fact that you're getting caught up in it." I grumbled.

"It's fine." He said in a pacifying tone. "You're worth it."

I smiled and also took a drink from my butterbeer. I'd never had anything like it before. It was amazing.

"So." He said eyeing me with an interested expression. "Did you enjoy your day off?"

"Yeah." I said grinning. "And it's not over yet."

"True." He said checking his watch. "We still have a feast to get to."

"I still can't believe that you guys celebrate holidays so much." I said. "In Salem all we had were a few crummy decorations."

"Well it's a good thing you're here then." He said and I smiled.

"Yeah." I agreed. "I like it here."

There was a moment where neither of us spoke, in which he seemed to be be debating something, then he finally said.

"Was it really that bad at your old school?"

"What?" I asked in surprise and he gave me a look I couldn't quite explain.

"I mean, was it true you didn't have any friends?" he asked. "I'm not doubting you or anything." He added quickly. "It's just so hard for me to see you as anything other than the person that everyone seems to adore. The press and your fans, they all love you, everyone at Hogwarts wants time with you and I know you Ray." He said giving me a concerned look. "How could anyone not want to be friends with you?"

"Because you know me after I was already famous." I said quietly looking down at my drink. "I'm not going to lie Oliver growing up not having time for school or friends because you're busy playing games on the road isn't easy. To them I wasn't a quidditch star, I was just some girl who was never there and when she did show up, she was ridiculously bad at magic. People want to be friends with me now because I'm famous and I have money, that's why they don't care if I suck in class and I have you to help me now. But back then." I sighed. "I was failing everything and I didn't have the money or the fame to make up for it. Before I got a private tutor, I just couldn't keep up with my training schedule. No one wanted to be partnered with me in class, and soon it went from no one wanting to be near me in class to no one wanting to be around me at all. Soon they were all calling me a no-maj and making fun of me. My neighbors, the only girls I'd ever made friends with were too embarrassed to be around me, especially when they found out the boys at our brother school didn't like girls who played quidditch, so they stopped playing and started making fun of me too. It was like the second they got boyfriends they turned into different people."

"I know what that's like." He muttered and I knew he was thinking of Alicia.

"Eventually, the teasing became straight up bullying." I said with a sigh. "It was little stuff at first. Stealing my things. Locking me in class rooms so I was late to class that kind of thing. But finally, some of the girls convinced my neighbors to play a hilarious prank on me." I said bitterly. "She told me that she wanted to be my friend and that we were invited to a party thrown by one of the most popular girls in the school. Of course I should have known it as a trap. Clarissa hated me so why would she invite me to a party? But I was so excited I didn't even question it. When I got there, they got some of the older students to stun me, put me in no-maj clothes, then transfigured me to have boils and tenticles all over my body. Then when I woke up, I was in the middle of the boy's school with the word no-maj enchanted all around me with the boys all laughing."

"That's horrible." Oliver said softly.

"Yeah," I said nodding. "My mother wouldn't do anything about it, because some of the girl involved had really important parents she didn't want to embarrass. That's when Max finally let me drop out."

"I had no idea."

"I've kept it quiet." I said with a shrug. "I don't want people feeling sorry for me and I don't want to be reminded. Anyways, Max found me a good tutor and I got a little better at magic but as you know I still struggle. Things got a little better after that, I bonded with my teams mostly and moved around the country until I got picked up by the national team."

"That's when you started your foundation right?"

"Yeah." I said glancing up at him. He looked concerned, more than anyone I'd ever seen, even Max. "Now there's stricter bullying laws in the magical community back home and most schools have an out reach program for kids who are being bullied. I've tried to get a trained professional in every school I can so nothing like that ever happens to anyone else."

"Well I think that's amazing." He said shaking his head. "You took something so horrible that happened to you and did some good because of it. Not many people are that strong."

He hesitated before asking.

"That's what you saw, wasn't it? When the dementor came? Your memories of being bullied."

I nodded looking down again.

"Reagan I'm so sorry." He said reaching across the table and putting his hand over mine. It was warm and although I'd only known Oliver for a matter of weeks, it felt familiar. The callouses we both had from catching and throwing the quaffle, and the way some of his fingers were slightly misshapen no doubt from jamming them while playing or being broken from bludgers.

"It's alright." I said looking up at him trying to smile but he wasn't fooled. I'd thought I as pretty good at smiling through situations I didn't want to be in, but there was something about Oliver that made him different than all the interviewers and fans. He could always tell when I was faking.

"I never should have brought it up."

"Don't worry about it." I said shaking my head. "If anyone was going to know, it would be you, right?"

"Yeah." He said giving my hand a squeeze before letting it go. "But you should know. Those girls were idiots."

"Yeah." I said with somewhat of a sarcastic smile. "Now everyone knows my name and they can't cash in on any of it."

"That's not it." He said seriously and I looked at him uncertain why he looked so intense. "It's because you're an amazing person Ray. I don't think you realize just how unique you are."

I felt heat rush to my cheeks but he didn't seem embarrassed he was looking at me as if what he was saying were facts, not just his opinion.

"No one on this planet can do what you do. I've never seen someone fly like you, or play like you do and I know my quidditch." He said plainly. "You took one of the most horrible experiences in your life, and you didn't get angry. You made it make you better and I can't tell you how rare of a quality that is in a person. You were terrified to go back to school but you did it anyways. You followed you dream like so many people are afraid to and even when it was hard you still made it happen. You never gave up. And you were rewarded for it, and even then you didn't let it go to your head. You made sure you helped people, and you are one of the nicest people I've ever met." His eyes met mine. "There should be more people like you in the world Reagan." He said certainly. "And those girls for idiots for not recognizing that."

I didn't know what to say. I was surprised to feel my eyes burning and I looked away from him before he could see.

"Thanks Oliver." I said eventually unsure how I could even begin to express what that had meant to me. "That, that means a lot."

Apparently I'm not good with words.

"Of course." He said and out of the corner of my eye I saw him glance at his watch. "It's the truth, but we should probably go pretty soon, of we'll be late for the feast."

"Alright." I said. "Let me just pay for my drink."

"Don't worry about it."

"But-"

"I already covered it." He said with a wave of his hand and I looked at him. I realized he must have paid for it when he paid for his own.

"Thanks." I said in amazement. No one had ever bought me a drink before.

"No problem." He said with a smile. "Think of it as my really pathetic way of trying to get even after the tickets for the game."

"You didn't have to do that." I said quickly. "The tickets were free."

"Yeah but you didn't have to give them to us." He persisted.

"But-"

"I'm paying for your drink Ray." He said. "That's final."

"Alright." I said with a smile and we stood to leave the pub.

On the way back to the castle we talked about school, our charms test that was coming up and what spells we thought we'd need to know and our grades on our transfiguration essay.

I'd almost forgotten Alicia had been in Hogsmead too until she met up with us at the Gryffindor table looking as if she'd had a wonderful time herself.

"So, how was your day?" she asked brightly as I took in the decorations for the feast.

It was filled with that looked like about a thousand pumpkins filled with candles some floating in the air around us along with live bats and fiery streamers lined the ceiling.

"Great." Oliver said. He looked a bit happier than usual as he gave her a summary of our day together, and hardly seemed miserable at all when she described her date which was full of romantic walks and shops full of other couples.

They continued to talk about Hogsmead for a while but then got into a debate over the Turkey vs. Ireland game tonight arguing over who would win, but for once I didn't much care to talk about quidditch. For one thing, I knew, like Oliver was arguing, that Ireland was too good this year to lose to hardly anyone, and for another, I'd had such a great day I kept replaying it in my mind.

I remembered what Oliver said about things being easy with someone. And that you should be able to be yourself.

Today had been nice, even when we were bombarded with fans all wanting my autograph and picture, with Oliver I'd been able to laugh about it.

With Oliver it didn't matter if I got to excited about quaffle sizes or bludger speeds. I could talk about all the variations and brands of chaser's gloves and his eyes didn't glaze over like everyone else. He actually enjoyed talking to me about player's stats and tournament rules. I'd never met anyone like him, not even in other players. He was truly just as obsessed as I was.

Things were easy around him.


	12. Chapter 12

Opov

We never made it back to the common room after the feast. Sirius Black had gotten into the castle and destroyed the portrait of the fat lady causing all of the students to have to sleep in the Great Hall for the night.

This worked out nicely for Alicia, who immediately scampered off to find her boyfriend, but as the lights went out and I crawled into my sleeping bag I found myself next to Reagan who was staring up at the starry ceiling.

"I'll never get over this." She said softly with a small smile and reaching up to the ceiling as if she could touch it. "It really looks like the sky is above us."

"Yeah it's cool." I said following her gaze. I'd never been in the Great Hall this late before, or with the candles out. The glowing white stars thrown against the blue black night sky truly was beautiful.

A couple of seconds passed in silence where I heard people around us whispering about Black and discussing theories on how he got into the castle and if he was still inside, but though the whole castle seemed terrified of Black, I couldn't bring myself to feel that afraid.

"You scared?" I asked Reagan quietly and she turned to look at me.

I could barely see her in the dim lighting, her eyes, which were usually a warm brown seemed much darker than usual.

"No." she whispered honestly.

"Mad murderers don't bother you?" I asked and she shrugged.

"What would Black want with me?"

She had a point.

"Still," I said rolling on my side to get a better look at her and she did the same. "I bet this wasn't exactly how you expected to spend your Halloween."

"No." she said with a slight grin. "But at least I get to spend it with you."

I felt my heart skip a beat and I suddenly felt extremely warm in my sleeping bag. Sometimes it surprised me how direct Reagan was. Unlike Alicia, who sometimes kept things to herself, Reagan said exactly what she was thinking. I never had to guess what was on her mind. I had to admit it was nice.

"You excited for your game next weekend?" she asked suddenly and I felt a jolt of surprise go through me.

We played Slytherin in a week. I'd had such a good time today I'd almost forgotten.

"Yeah." I said deciding not to mention how nervous I was.

"I can't wait to see you play." She said suddenly which didn't help. "You and Alicia. It'll be so much fun."

"You're going to watch?" I asked in surprise.

"Of course." She said and in the darkness I could see she was giving me a strange look, as if this should have been obvious.

"But don't you have something to do?" I asked. She was always busy.

"I told Max to block off that Saturday weeks ago. I'm not going to miss your game."

I wanted to respond but suddenly a prefect went by shushing us rudely. We both looked up in the darkness and the fifth year seemed embarrassed to find the people he was trying to boss around were two years older than he was. He wandered away and we continued our conversation.

"You really didn't have to do that." I said quietly after a teacher had passed us.

"Of course I did."

"It's probably going to be really boring for you."

"I'm sure it won't be." She said encouragingly. "I've played with you. You're very good."

"Thanks." I said smiling and she smiled back.

Again a silence stretched between us but it wasn't uncomfortable. Things were rarely uncomfortable around her. Being around her felt as natural as breathing.

"Well, we should probably go to sleep." She said eventually while rolling on to her back.

"Yeah probably." I agreed doing the same.

"I'll see you tomorrow Oliver. Sweet dreams."

"Yeah you too."

I looked up at the stars at the ceiling knowing I wouldn't be able to sleep, and also knowing that the night's excitement had nothing to do with why I was feeling wide awake.

She was coming to our game. She'd made time in her overwrought schedule just to watch us play.

'She's also going to the fundraiser with Dennings.' A small voice in the back of my mind said.

A strange feeling went through me at this though. It wasn't anger or bitterness like I felt when I knew Alicia was going to be spending time with Aiden. I didn't feel sorry for myself. It was more like feeling a sense of disappointment, or loss, though what I could have possibly been losing I had no idea.

'She was perfectly entitled to go to the party with Drake,' I thought.

She could have gone with anyone she wanted to. So why was I feeling like this?

'Because she could have gone with you.' Said that same small voice and I rolled over burying my face in my arms.

'Yes, Reagan could have gone with me.' I thought reflectively. 'Me or anyone else.'

'But especially you.'

I pondered this thought for a very long time. Trying to imagine what it would be like standing next to her in front, of the flashing cameras like Drake seemed so good at. He made it look so easy, standing next to her his arm around her dealing with the adoring fans and paparazzi. I didn't think I could ever be that person, but was that what she needed?

I turned to look at Reagan who was facing me again. I could just see the outline of her silhouette in the dim lighting, rising and falling gently as she slept, her mind seemingly untroubled by these thoughts.

'What about Alicia?' I thought almost nervously.

I'd fancied Alicia for so long I wasn't sure I knew how to let in anyone else but with Reagan I was starting to wonder if I even had a choice. Being was Reagan was less letting her close to me and more like realizing that she just fit there. But to her would Drake fit better?

He was famous like she was, he knew how it all worked. He certainly would be the better person to bring to a big media event. How would someone like me even compare to him?

The truth was, no matter how much I hated to admit it, that I didn't. Being with someone like Reagan just wasn't possible for someone like me. It was more than likely after this year she was going to move on with her life and I would be nothing more than a memory to her as she rose straight to the top.

"Stop staring at me."

I started as Reagan's eyes opened and narrowed at me.

"Do you know how hard it is to fall asleep with an audience?"

"Sorry." I said grinning and she rolled her eyes.

"Black's not going to kill me Oliver." She said misinterpreting my reasoning for looking at her. "Go to sleep. I'll be fine."

"Debatable." I said and she snickered. "Night Ray."

"Night Oliver." She said quietly and I looked back up the ceiling.

I could deal with these thoughts tomorrow, for now I was content to be next to her imagining how she'd look at me when we won on Saturday. She'd said I was good. Well, I was determined to prove her right.

I grinned and closed my eyes. We were going to win, I could feel it. We had the best team in the school and this year, finally, the cup would be ours.

Rpov

"Well it's official." Alicia said tossing me a magazine which I caught as the last of the mail owls left the Great Hall on Saturday. "You are once again the media's hot topic."

We were eating breakfast with Oliver before their game, and while everyone around us seemed relaxed and happy to watch a game, they both seemed tense.

"Am I?" I asked interestedly looking at the cover of a magazine called 'Witch Weekly' to see a picture myself and Drake sitting together at 'the club' with the caption.

LOVE AT LAST?

DRAKE DENNING AND REAGAN WILLIAMS CONFIRMED!

"Interesting." I said tossing the magazine away not wanting to see what they wrote.

"So is it true?" Alicia asked monetarily breaking from her nervous disposition to look at me with interest.

"They have one date." Oliver said darkly and we looked at him. "It's hardly a relationship."

He'd been in a bad mood ever since he found out that Slytherin had backed out of their match and were being replaced with Hufflepuff. The weather couldn't be much worse either, thunder clapped above us shaking the enchanted ceiling as sheets of rain cascaded to the earth.

I could tell Alicia was thinking about this as her nerves returned and she glanced up at the sky.

"You'll be fine." I assured her. "I've only had like four teammates get hit by lightening."

"Four?!" she asked incredulously.

"Only four." I corrected. "So odds are you'll be fine."

"That's what I keep telling her." Oliver said in exasperation.

"You guys are insane." Alicia muttered before turning back to her cereal.

"Well I'd better get going." Oliver glancing at his watch. "I'm the captain I should be there first. I'll see you soon." He finished looking at Alicia who nodded.

He pushed away his breakfast, and stood.

"Good luck." I said and he looked down at me.

"Thanks Ray." He said smiling for the first time this morning.

I smiled back and watched him walk out of the hall his scarlet robes making him seem even taller than usual. I couldn't think he looked exceptionally handsome in his uniform, but then again, I was a sucker for quidditch boys…

"Earth to Reagan." Alicia said and when I turned I realized she'd been trying to get my attention.

"Yeah?" I asked and she gave me a weird look.

"You ok?"

"Yeah," I repeated my cheeks flushing.

"'Cuz I've been trying to talk to you."

"What's up?"

"I was just asking if you were excited for your date with Drake."

"Oh." I said frowning. "Yeah I guess."

"Well that's convincing." She said sarcastically. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." I said too quickly and she raised an eyebrow.

"Fine." She said. "Don't tell me. But just know," she grinned suddenly. "I'll get it out of you eventually. I can read people."

"Sure." I said thinking of Oliver and how long he'd been hiding his secret from her.

"God you're just like Oliver." She said shaking her head. "Mind's always off in some other place. Do you realize how frustrating that is?"

"He's your best friend." I said giving her a strange look. "I thought that you'd be used to it."

"Yeah but it's ten times worse when both of you do it." She said. "Sometimes I feel like you guys can just look at each other and know what the other is thinking. You guys got some sort of freakish connection."

"Maybe." I said and she squinted at me.

"Are you sure you're ok?" she asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"I dunno." She said still looking at me suspiciously. "You just seem like a million miles away."

"Just tired I guess." I said but she didn't seem to buy it.

"Well you'll tell me when you're ready I guess." She said shrugging then spotting a few of her teammates getting up from the table. "Well I should probably get going. Oliver will want to talk to us before the match. You'll be fine getting to the pitch yourself?"

"It's kind of hard to miss." I said with a grin.

"Alright." She said with a laugh. "Well I'll see you after the game."

"Good luck." I said and with one final wave she ran to catch up with her team mates.

I didn't stay long in the Great Hall after Alicia left. A few people tried to wave me over to sit with them, but I decided to leave early and get a good seat for the match. I didn't mind sitting in the rain.

Finally, in my front row seat and after about ten minutes, the box had filled around me and the players were walking out onto the field. I saw Oliver shaking hands with the Hufflepuff captain and soon both teams were in the air and the game began.

The Hogwarts players were very good.

Even in this crazy wind they were able to connect complex passes and Gryffindor pulled into an early lead.

It was hard to hear the commentary over the howling wind and rain, but by the time the ref had called time out we were fifty points a head, with Alicia scoring several of our goals Oliver making some truly spectacular saves.

I shivered as the game recommenced, and as thunder clapped over head and lightning flashed, I saw them.

"No." I said quietly as they glided on to the field their hooded faces looking up at the crowd turning the stadium cold.

Oliver shouted at his seeker as the Hufflepuff captain and seeker shot off no doubt after the snitch but I could barely focus on the game.

I trembled as the stadium grew colder, and my mind started to swim with horrible memories. Things that I'd tried to forget after years swam to the surface of my mind.

Harry, the Gryffindor seeker was streaking towards the snitch as well, but his broom suddenly started slowing as cruel laughter filled my ears. Hundreds of students were laughing, all at me.

I clapped my hands over my ears and shut my eyes.

I was cold, colder than the rain could have possibly made me, it reached down to my very bones as I struggled to remain conscious. The laughing was louder and all around me. My brain was fogging and suddenly, I heard people scream. The Gryffindor seeker was plummeting toward the ground.

But I didn't see what happened. I didn't know who or where I was. I was drowning in cold darkness, as the laughter grew louder choking my throughs and bringing with it a wave of terror that I'd never known before. Just as I thought I couldn't take it anymore, the cold fog had over taken me, I collapsed into the freezing darkness, the echoing laughter the last thing I heard.


	13. Chapter 13

Opov

It took me a long time to leave the showers after the game. What a nightmare it had been, I couldn't believe we'd lost.

I was considering spending all day there until Alicia came down and told me Reagan had collapsed.

"Is she going to be ok?" I asked Madam Pomfrey, the school nurse as I burst through the Hospital wing doors with Alicia hot on my heels.

Harry had woken up before Reagan but had fallen back asleep by the time I'd gotten here to check on her, but I found I had eyes only for her.

"She'll be fine." She said giving Reagan a concerned look. "Some people are more affected than others. And judging by the accounts of the students who witnessed her collapse, she was forced to relive an extremely painful memory."

I nodded and took her hand while sitting at a chair next to her bed.

"Today might be the worst day of my life." I said quietly as Madam Pomfrey made her way back to her office. "First we'd lost the match and now this…"

"I'm sure she'll wake up soon." Alicia said putting a hand on my shoulder but I didn't look away from Reagan.

I continued to sit by her bed side for the next few hours until night had fallen outside, well after Alicia said she was going back to the common room to see the rest of the team.

It was almost the end of visiting hours and I was thinking of going back to Gryffindor tower when suddenly, I felt Reagan's hand tighten around mine and I looked up to see her eyes open.

"Oliver?" she asked quietly her voice weak.

"Hey." I said quietly and she tried to sit up.

"What happened?" she asked looking around the room in confusion. "Where am I? The match…"

"Slow down." I said soothingly as she managed to prop herself up on her pillows and look around. "You're in the hospital wing." I hesitated. "We lost the match. Cedric got the snitch just before Harry fell."

"I'm sorry." She said quietly looking at me. "I know how much that game meant to you."

"There'll be others." I said quietly. Now that she'd woken up the loss didn't seem nearly as bad, not comparatively… "I'm just glad that you're awake."

"I can't believe they made me pass out again." She said hugging her knees to herself in shame. She didn't seem to want to look at me.

"Don't worry about it Ray." I said. "They make everyone feel awful. And you weren't the only one to pass out."

I gestured towards Harry in the bed a few spots down and her eyes slid over him then met mine.

"You played really well." She said and my heart skipped a beat.

"Thanks."

"The dementors." She said frowning. "They're so horrible."

"I know." I said quietly.

"They're not going to be at the next match are they?"

"No." I said shaking my head and reaching on to her nightstand for the massive pile of candy that was resting on it. "Dumbledore was furious. He chased them away and I think they'll be gone for good. Well, at least from the games."

"Good." She said quietly and accepting the chocolate frog I handed her.

"How are you feeling?" I asked her.

"Not great." She said after biting off the frog's head.

"Make sure you eat plenty of chocolate." I said and she nodded finishing the frog and reaching for the nightstand on her own now.

"We'd better hope Max doesn't find out about this." She said her eyes going slightly wider. "I've got that party tomorrow and if he thinks there's even a chance that I'm not well enough to attend because the ministry can't control their guards…"

"That would be bad." I agreed and she nodded.

We sat in silence for a while she ate some of her chocolate frogs. Several people had sent her things, from every house, even Slytherin. Hogwarts was filled with her fans.

"So." She said looking up at me. "Can you still win the cup?"

I grinned.

Only Reagan could have woken up from having passed out because of dementors and want to talk about quidditch.

"It'll be difficult." I admitted. "But we have a shot. If Hufflepuff loses their next game by enough points, that will make things much easier."

"But you'll have to win by a lot."

"In our other games yes."

"Well I'm sure you can do it." She said. "I was watching before you guys passed out, you're really good."

"Thanks." I said suddenly feeling like today wasn't a total loss.

She smiled at me. She still looked pale and a little weak but the chocolate and rest seemed to be doing her good. She looked a lot better than she did a few hours ago.

"So how long have you been sitting here?" she asked glancing around for a clock.

"Not long." I lied. I didn't want her to feel guilty for me staying her for most of my Saturday.

"Good." She said looking outside and seeing that night had fallen. "I was starting to think you might have been here all day."

"Would that have been a bad thing?" I asked my stomach clenching.

"I imagine it wouldn't have been very interesting." She said shrugging. "With me just lying here. Why does it matter?"

"No reason." I said shaking my head.

She gave me a funny look.

"Were you here all day?"

"Not the whole day…" I said cagily.

"Oliver." She said with warning in her voice. How could she always tell when I was lying?

"I spent most of it here." I said. "From as soon as I found out."

"Why?" she asked looking a little startled, but not in a bad way.

"I dunno I just…" I started and found I couldn't look at her. "I thought it might be nice for you to have somebody, you know here. Back in the U.S. you said you said you didn't have any friends, and your parents are pretty much out of the picture, and you're in a new school in a new country… I just." I hesitated. "I didn't want you to feel alone."

Again, it was very hard to look at her, but when I glanced in her direction I saw she looked rather touched.

"So you waited here, all day?" she asked quietly.

I nodded.

"That's not creepy, right?" I asked her and I saw that her eyes were bright.

"No." she said shaking her head with a slight laugh. "That's, that's probably the nicest thing anyone's every done for me."

"It's not that big of a deal." I said feeling embarrassed.

"Yeah it is." She said and I looked at her.

She didn't seem to be having any trouble looking at me, her gaze was steady but her expression was hard to read. She was staring at me, as if she were trying to figure me out. As if she looked at me, and felt the same amazement I did when I saw her, that someone like her could even exist.

No one had ever looked at me like that. I didn't know how to react.

"Well you're awake now." I said awkwardly looking out the window. "I should probably get Madam Pomfrey. She'll want to look after you."

"Alright." She said quietly.

She sounded a little disappointed but didn't argue as I stood and started walking to the office that branched off from the hospital wing. Her expression was still firmly lodged into the back of my mind. Like she was staring at something she'd never seen before but wanted to understand.

A thrill of excitement went through me at this thought. I shouldn't have thought it, the odds that it was true were very small indeed.

'But still,' said that small voice in the back of my mind. 'It might be possible.'

Possible. I couldn't allow myself to think it, but the excitement refused to die. I knew that deep down, part of me hoped that Reagan just might have seen me as something special.

Rpov

"Reagan! Over here!"

"Look this way!"

"Drake, put your arm around your date!"

Drake did as the reporter asked and we were blinded by a new series of camera flashes, the devices clicking like crazy as we posed in front of a banner that said.

QUIDDITCH FOR CARING HEARTS

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

"How long do we have to stand here?" I asked Drake through my teeth as I smiled for the cameras from God knows what newspapers and magazines. The dinner was done, the speeches had been made, and the sponsors had been met with. Now we were posing with several important figures in front of the foundation logos for the press standing here for what felt like an eternity.

"Not much longer." He whispered back.

"I'm going blind."

He laughed pulling me closer which only sparked a new wave of flashes and clicks.

"Alright, Alright." Max said walking in front of the cameras and ushering Drake and I into the entrance hall of the venue. "You've all got your pictures now let them through."

"Thank Houdini." I said as we made it into the building. "I thought that was never going to end."

Again Drake laughed and I turned to look at him suspiciously.

"What?"

"Nothing." He said taking my hand as we continued to make our way to the dance hall where the second part of the evening would be held. "It's just, I find your blatant Americaness quite enjoyable."

"Well find it enjoyable in the ballroom." Max said irritated shooing us down the marble floored hall. "We've still got many people Reagan needs to talk to before the end of the night and they can't start the dance without the guest of honor."

"Alright." Drake said waving away Allen, his own agent, who'd come jogging up to him.

I noticed Allen give Max a long suffering look which he returned. They must have bonded over dealing with celebrities.

We stepped into a wide room that was lavishly decorated with gold and black balloons, gold ivy with white flowers that lined the trim and bright streamers that were artfully dangled form the ceiling. I saw the room was filled with the most famous and well dressed people I'd ever seen in one place.

"So." Drake asked under his breath as Max shunted us to a group of many important people I knew I was supposed to have remembered by now but honestly didn't. "You know anybody here."

"I'm supposed to." I said quietly and he grinned.

"I'll help you out." He turned to a thin woman with mauve dress robes and an extremely ostentatious hat. "Madam Eleanor," he said and I remembered a hasty conversation with Max about a rich widow who's son had been bullied at an American school in Texas and had made a huge donation to the cause. "How is your son doing?"

"Oh he's great." She said beaming at me. "Thanks to you of course. Your out reach program did wonders for my little Howie." She said and I remembered meeting a boy who played a couple of minutes with me during one of the many friendlies I'd played on the U.S. team as part of the program. "He made a speech tonight actually. He was so excited to see you again Reagan. He's graduated since you've seen him last, started working in finance." She said beaming with pride.

"Yes it was nice to see Howard again." I said smiling and shaking hear hand while Drake introduced himself to the people around us for my sake.

There was the minister of magic, Cornelius Fudge, the director of the Firebolt company Darius Ogbert, a wealthy couple who's name I didn't catch and finally…

"Jason?" I asked in surprise as he reached me with a grin.

"Hey Ray Ray." He said patting my head and ruffling my hair.

"What are you doing here?" I asked happily while pushing his hand off.

"Didn't think I'd miss your big shindig did you?" he said with a knowing smile.

"How much did you have to donate to get invited?" I asked my eyes going wide.

"You can't put a price on a friendship." He said airily and I laughed. "So, what does a guy have to do to get something to drink around here?"

As if responding to this statement, a flood of white vested waiters stepped into the rooms all carrying trays of champagne.

"Excellent." Jason said taking three glasses, one for me, Drake, and himself off the nearest tray. "I must say little Ray. You certainly know how to throw a party."

"It was all Max." I said taking a sip. "He did everything."

"Well then he will be getting my thank you card." Jason said with a roguish smile. "There are some pretty women here."

"Yes, so why don't you go and talk to them." Drake said pleasantly while putting an arm around my waist. "Or would you like to continue being the squeaky third wheel?"

"I think I'll squeak for just a bit longer." Jason said smirking right back at Drake. "You see as one of the many donors tonight I think I'm entitled to a little face time with my teammate."

"Well thanks for donating." I said still feeling a little shocked. "And thanks for coming. I had no idea you'd be here."

"Anything for our little Ray." Said another familiar voice and I looked over my shoulder and cried out in surprise to see my entire team grinning at me, including coach grove.

"What are you all doing here?" I asked laughing while pulling each one of them into a hug.

"We'd figure we'd come see what your little organization is about." Hank said grinning while Larry said.

"I support you on the pitch, so I might as well support you off it."

I laughed and suddenly remembering he was there said.

"You guys have all met Drake right."

"Oh yes." Dylan said his eyes narrowing while Anson gave Drake a stern look. "We know all about the party boy that's taking our little Reagan on her first date."

"It's not that big of a deal guys…" I muttered but that didn't stop Justin from giving Drake the evil eye.

"We're watching you." Hank said looking at him with obvious suspicion.

He didn't look alarmed though. In fact, he was looking at Jason with amusement.

"So is this why you're squeaking. So you and your quidditch buddies could intimidate me?"

"I had nothing to do with this." He said gesturing towards our team with a shrug.

"Just know that if you hurt Reagan, you deal with us." Dylan said, and though he was shorter than Drake, he was used to handling a bat.

"Noted." Drake said sarcastically and after one final look of mistrust, the team meandered off to go talk to people they knew, and for the single ones, to introduce themselves to the pretty girls that Jason had mentioned before.

"Blimey Ray," Drake said looking at me with amusement. "First Oliver and now your team. You'd think you'd have an army of people wanting to protect you."

I blushed and Jason threw an arm around my shoulders.

"And why shouldn't she?" he asked grinning. "She's adorable. Our little Ray of sunshine."

"Stop it." I said only slightly annoyed as he tried to ruffle my hair again.

"You know I'm not trying to hurt her? Right?" Drake asked and for once he'd lost his characteristic smirk. He looked worried.

"Of course mate." Jason said disentangling himself from me. "You know I've always got your back.

"Good." He said with a smile then he turned to me. "What about you. You know that-"

"I know." I said quietly and he looked relieved.

"Well then let's get this party started." He said downing the rest of his champagne and taking my hand.

"Bye squeaky." He said and before Jason could so much as protest he'd dragged me out onto the dance floor.

…..

Over all the dance wasn't too bad. I had to shake a lot of hands and smile for a lot of photographs but Drake was there so for once I didn't have to do it alone.

"So." He asked as we stepped out onto the terrace to take a break from dancing. It was a pretty patio with white columns decorated with the same golden vines and flowers as the inside had been. "Was it as bad as you expected?" he asked gesturing towards the inside.

"No." I said honestly and he smiled. "I actually had fun."

"Good, me too," he said as we sat on a bench next to a ridiculously large fountain that was featuring a bronze mermaid with water spouting out of her tail. "I know this isn't normally your sort of thing."

I didn't say anything mainly because he was right.

"I'm sorry I didn't ask you to come myself." He continued which caught my attention. "I was going to surprise you after your last practice, but when it was cancelled Allen sort of jumped the gun by talking to Max first and…" he sighed. "You know how these things get all mixed up."

"Yeah." I said and silence fell between us again.

"But I am glad you enjoyed yourself." He said suddenly. He seemed uncomfortable when we weren't talking. At several points tonight I'd found myself speaking with him just to make conversation. I was starting to think Drake was the kind of person who couldn't stand silence.

"Yeah it was fun. Thanks for coming."

"I wouldn't have missed it." He said and I looked at him.

"Impassioned about anti-bullying campaigns?" I asked him uncertainly.

"Yes actually," he said and I felt my eyebrows raise in surprise, but instead of looking at me, he was staring out into the night. Fairies were darting from the rose bushes in the garden. "In fact your foundation was one of the reasons I was so interested in you when we first met."

"Why is that?" I asked in total shock.

"Because I knew you were like me." He said with a slightly bitter smile.

"In what way?"

"You were bullied in school." He said glancing in my direction. "Weren't you?"

"How did you know?" I asked. I guess it wasn't an unreasonable conclusion. Why else would I have founded an anti-bullying organization unless bullying had affected me personally but still, I was surprised that he'd just come right out and said it. No one ever had before.

"I can tell by the way you don't let people in." he said his smile fading as he looked back out at the garden again. "The press, your fans, they're always swarming all over you but it never bothers you because they're all at a distance. It comes when you don't trust people. I would know." He finished quietly.

"It's hard to believe anyone ever bullied you." I said quietly. He was attractive, famous, and talented. Girls were always screaming and trying to get all over him when he was near.

"I'm sure people would say the same about you." He said glancing at me.

"Fair enough." I said with a shrug. "So what were you…"

"I had a stutter when I was a kid." He said answering my unfinished question. "It was really bad I could barely communicate especially when I was nervous. School was rough for me, I didn't have hardly any friends and everyone would laugh at me. I only got over it when I learned I liked to sing. But by then my reputation was set." He sighed. "I could only imagine how much better things would have been if someone as nice as you had been at my school."

"Well they just would have laughed at both of us probably." I said dryly and he smiled.

"Well look who's laughing now." He said softly and he finally turned back to me.

He seemed closer now, much closer than he was a few minutes ago.

"You know you really are an amazing person Reagan." He said quietly and I felt my cheeks flush as he tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. His fingers brushed my cheek and remained there. He was very close now…

"Hey! Ray! Are you out here?"

We both jumped and broke apart to see Jason jogging out on to the terrace.

"Oh, sorry." He said stopping abruptly and looking embarrassed as he spotted us.

"The squeaky wheel returns." Drake said sounding amused but his eyes look disappointed. "What do you want mate?" he asked turning to Jason.

"Max sent me to find you." Jason said still looking awkward. "He says your port key leaves in five minutes."

"Of course it does." Drake said with a half smile then taking my hand and helping me to my feet. "Well, shall I escort you back inside my lady?" he asked with a fake posh accent and I smiled.

"Indeed."

He grinned and together we walked back into the dance hall.

He didn't walk to the port key with me, but kissed me on the cheek as we said our goodbyes and Jason walked with me to the entrance hall where Max was waiting.

"Looks like you and Dennings were having a good time." He said with a knowing smile and I rolled my eyes.

"I think he's given you a new nick name tonight."

"Oh that will die down." He said waving an airy hand. "But you know I'm surprised." He said looking down at me.

"Why is that?"

"I dunno, I guess after that night at 'the club' I though you and that Oliver kid had a thing. I know Drake is super jealous of him."

"Drake?" I asked in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah. He says he's the only one you really talk to."

"I talk to you, and the whole team." I said in surprise.

"I know you do." He said shrugging. "But he means really talk to. You know, like deep meaningful conversation. Though," he said with a smirk. "You and Drake seemed pretty close tonight."

"Oh shut up." I said crossing my arms over my chest as Max came into view. "And besides, Oliver likes Alicia,

"Who?" he asked vaguely.

"The blonde girl you were chatting up when we were all together." I said and he smiled.

"Oh her," he said in sudden recollection. "That's right. She was pretty."

"Yeah she is."

"Well I'd better go." He said as we reached Max and giving me a brief clap on the shoulder. "There was an extremely pretty model who I think was about to invite me over to her house before I was sent to find you. Don't want the moment to pass."

"Alright." I said amused and he walked back to the ball room and Max let out a laugh.

"He doesn't change much, does he?" he asked looking at Jason with a slight smile.

"No not really." I said grinning. "But he's a good friend. Why did you send him to get me though?"

"What?"

"He said you sent him to come look for me. Why didn't you just look yourself?"

"I didn't send anyone to look for you." He said confused.

"But-" I started confused but then looked back at Jason who was turning the corner. "Why would he lie?"

"Who knows with Styles." Max said impatiently. "Hurry up Reagan. The portkey leaves in a minute."

He held out a battered fork for me to touch and I put a finger on it while thinking.

Why had Jason lied? But that wasn't all he'd done. He'd stuck around for a long time tonight. I could tell Drake was getting annoyed with him, especially when he came in and ruined the moment we it seemed Drake was about to kiss me. I hadn't though much of it at first, but now I was starting to think Jason might have been doing it on purpose. I didn't know how I felt about kissing Drake, but the more I thought about it, the more anxious I became. I didn't think I was ready for that. Not yet. Maybe Jason had known that. Perhaps it was possible he'd made himself the third wheel tonight, because he knew I'd need one.


	14. Chapter 14

Opov

November gave way to December in a series of chilly rains, but that couldn't dampen my enthusiasm to win the cup. Our team practiced no matter the weather and the more we played, the more certain I became we'd flatten Ravenclaw when the time came. Harry had assured me that he was working with professor Lupin about his dementor problem, so I really couldn't see anything that might stop us.

Now if only quidditch were my only concern.

"Is it just me?" Reagan asked wearily as she closed her transfiguration text book and open her charms one, "or do our teachers seem a little bit obsessed with the N.E.W.T.s?"

"It's not just you." I said letting my head fall onto an essay I was writing about animargi, hoping none of the ink was smearing onto my face.

Our professors had been laying on the homework like there was no tomorrow. It felt as if we were studying for exams every week, and I had to admit my brain was at it's limit. We were in the library for the fifth night in a row and I not only couldn't think, but it seemed like staying awake was taking all my concentration.

"I don't why you guys aren't more concerned." Alicia, who hadn't seemed affected by this extra work load, said as she circled something in her notes and transferred the information onto her essay. "These tests determine our future."

"Your future maybe." Reagan muttered darkly. "I have a job, remember?"

"You can't play quidditch forever." Alicia said frowning and Reagan muttered something about not needing to.

"How much _do_ they pay you?" she asked suddenly and Reagan pretended not to hear.

I looked up curious as well, but didn't press the subject. Reagan seemed rather reluctant to talk about money and I was starting to realize why after I'd read an article in 'Quidditch Quarterly' about the highest paid athletes in the world in. Reagan was in the top ten.

She'd move up into this bracket after their last win against Italy, a team we hadn't beaten in over three decades. She'd scored most of our goals and according to the article, her goal bonus for that game jumped her from 14th highest paid to 9th.

It was more than likely that Reagan was set for life. So what was she still doing in school? I knew that getting your education was important, but wasn't that so you had skills to get a job? Reagan already had a career, one that was very demanding. I guess I could understand why she wanted to finish school, but was it worth all this stress?

I watched her Reagan for a moment as she rubbed her eyes and return to her book then as I looked up, caught Alicia smiling.

"What?"

"Nothing." She said quickly and I felt my eyes narrow.

"What?" I asked again this time with suspicion as she couldn't seem to contain her smile.

"Nothing." She repeated innocently but I didn't believe her.

"Does anyone know what the counter charm to the giggling spell is?" Reagan asked effectively breaking up the conversation and we both looked at her.

"Why are you looking up giggling charms?" Alicia asked with interest.

"Aren't we supposed to be listening all the spells we've learned this term and their counter charms?" she asked.

"That was last week's assignment." I said frowning and looking on what she'd been working on. "And why are you doing last week's transfiguration essay?"

"What?" she asked looking through her planner and making a noise of horror. "Oh no." she said her eyes going wide.

"What's wrong?" Alicia and I asked in unison.

"I accidentally duplicated last week's work on to this week." Reagan said her eyes even wider as she continued to rifle through the pages.

"How did you not notice?" Alicia asked in amazement. "You were doing all the same work."

"Do you really think I've got nothing better to do during homework than actually pay attention to it?" Reagan asked raising an eyebrow and repacking her bag. "You know how much sleep I get. It's a miracle this is the first time it's happened. I've got to go." She said grabbing her books and shoving them into her bag. "I've got to go to the teachers and explain. I'll see you guys later."

"Alright," we said in unison and she dashed off to find our professors.

I watched Reagan practically sprint out of the library, but was distracted when Alicia spoke.

"So." she said giving me an interested somewhat superior look that I didn't like.

"So…what?" I asked and she smiled.

"You and Reagan seem to be really close."

"Of course we are." I said crossing out a sentence in my essay and rewriting the correct wording above it. "We both like quidditch. She talks about it as much as I do."

"Yeah, but I talk to you about quiddich." She pressed and I looked up at her wonder what she was getting at.

"But she actually WANTS to talk about quidditch all the time." I pointed out and she shrugged.

"I guess that's true."

"Why are you brining this up anyways?" I asked a little confused. It was weird. While usually I spent most of my time with Alicia, lately I'd been spending a lot of alone time with Reagan. This was the first time we'd been together without her in a while.

"No reason." She said. "I just think it's nice you know. That you guys are such good friends."

She said this as if it were supposed to have a deeper meaning, but I didn't pick up on it. What was she trying to say?

"'Cuz you know, I don't think I've ever seen you so excited when you're around someone." She pressed. "Every time I see you two together you just seem to click so well. It's like you don't notice anything else."

"Alicia, if you want to say something, just say it." I said looking at her and she looked at me incredulously.

"Isn't it obvious?" she asked me.

"No."

"You fancy her!" she said so loudly that several people made rude shushing noises at her.

"What?" I asked feeling my cheeks go red. "I do not."

"Oh please." She said rolling her eyes. "I see the way you look at her. It's like the first time we saw the firebolt together in Diagon Alley."

"So?" I asked defensively.

"So?" she hissed in exasperation. "So you like her! You should ask her out!"

"I do not fancy Reagan." I said feeling suddenly very angry though I wasn't sure why. "And besides, she has a boyfriend."

"Drake is not her boyfriend." Alicia said shaking her head. "She had one date with him and she's not even sure she likes him that much."

"How do you know that?" I asked irritated.

"I'm good at reading people." She said.

"Which means you don't even actually know that." I said bitterly and she gave me a strange look.

"What's your problem?" she asked sounding a little irritated.

"I don't have a problem." I said coldly. I didn't really know why I was so angry at her, but hearing her of all people telling me who I liked was like a slap in the face. Like she refused to acknowledge that anything could happen between us at all. "You need to stop telling me who I fancy that's all."

"But you do fancy her!" our voices were getting louder now and several people were staring at us.

"I do NOT!"

"Oliver." She said annoyed. "Why are you so determined to fight this? I'm your best friend, I know you. And Reagan is your dream girl."

"You don't know anything about who I like." I said furiously and standing up. "You know, you don't know me as well as you think you do Alicia."

"Oliver-" she said looking hurt but I had no sympathy for her.

"I'm going back to the tower." I said angrily gathering my things and shoving them into my bag. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"But-"

But I'd turned on my heel and left the library before she could even finish her sentence.

Rpov

I didn't see Alicia and Oliver again until after they'd already left the library and made it back to the tower and from an irate Alicia, I was informed that after I'd left they'd had a fight.

"Hey." I said to Oliver as I came back down to the common room at night to work on homework.

Usually when I came down this late, the common room was empty but there he was, sitting on the couch in front of the fire.

"Hey." He said turning around in shock to see me. "What are you doing down here this late?"

"I've got make up all the assignments I mixed up." I said gesturing towards my school back in my hand. "Why are you here?"

"I messed up." He said a little half heartedly and looked back to the fire as I sat next to him.

"I heard." I said quietly. "Alicia told me you two got into a fight but not about what."

"It was stupid." He said putting his head in his hands and muttering into his fingers.

"That's what she said too." I said putting a hand on his shoulder comfortingly as the fire flickered causing shadows to dance across the walls around us.

"I don't even know what set me off." He said turning to look at me.

"You're probably just stressed." I said sympathetically. "We've all got a lot to do right now."

"I don't have anywhere near as much stuff to do as you do." He said looking at his feet. "And you're not yelling at your friends."

"Everyone deals with it in different ways." I said shrugging but this didn't seem to make him feel better.

"What do you think's going to happen to us after Hogwarts?" he asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?" I asked frowning. I didn't understand what he was trying to ask.

"I mean," he started then hesitated. "You're not going to stop being friends with us, right?" he asked and I was caught so off guard by this, I just stared at him.

"Reagan?" he asked after a second and I blinked.

"What makes you ask that?" I asked him frowning.

"Well." He said shrugging. "You don't need to be at school. And odds are if you go and continue playing quidditch and we go our separate ways, we're never going to see each other anymore." He looked miserable as he said this. "I just don't want to be thinking us being friends is more than it is, if we're only friends because you're here."

"Oliver." I said in amazement. "Of course we're going to stay friends. You and Alicia are the best friends I've ever had. Why would you think that that would just go away?"

"I dunno." He said with a shrug. "I see how busy you are and I just don't understand how after we're not forced to see each other in class, that you're going to be able to have time for us. I don't even know why you bother coming to school in the first place. You don't need it."

"You know," I said with a smile. "I think you're the only person who agrees with me on that stance."

"What stance?"

"That I don't really need to be here." I said with a slight laugh. "I told Max I wanted to drop out, my mother was furious when I told her I'd gotten a private tutor. Even my dad offered to pay for my school books as long as I agreed to go. Not that that was ever the issue," I said rolling my eyes. "But you understand."

"So then why are you still here?" he asked me. "You don't need to be. Why are you putting yourself under all this stress?"

"I thought that was obvious." I said looking at him.

"You're the second person who's said that to me today." He said grumpily and I laughed.

"Well, go on tell me." He said.

"It's because of you." I said honestly and he looked stunned.

"Me?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, and Alicia." I said. "This is the first time I've ever had friends at school. And I like it. It might be hard work, but I want to graduate with you guys, I want to stay in school. Even if it's only one year together, I'd rather have a year here than be on my own."

"I didn't know we meant that much to you." He said quietly.

"Of course you do." I said with a smile. "And of course we're going to be friends after school. After all this is over and the publicity dies down, we'll be able to hang out all the time. You can go to my games, I'll go to yours. Who knows." I smirked. "We might even play against each other when I join the leagues."

"They'll announce our names together. When I play for Puddlemere and you play for the Harpies." He said looking more cheerful. "Wood and Williams. Best friends, and bitter rivals."

"Until you join the national team and we play together."

"You really think I could make it?" he asked quietly.

"I know you can."

He smiled.

"Thanks Ray." He said.

"Any time Oliver."

Silence passed between us again, but unlike Drake he didn't seem to mind it. We stared at the fire for a few minutes before he eventually said.

"You should probably start doing your work."

"Yeah." I agreed but didn't move. I really didn't feel like dealing with a weeks worth of assignments right now. I was so tried.

"Do you want to just copy mine?" he asked tentatively.

"Yes." I said in relief and he laughed.

"Alright I'll go get it."

He walked stood, stretched, then walked up to the boys dormitory to get his bag. I watched him go thinking inexplicably of Jason and how he'd hovered around Drake and I at the fundraising event. I couldn't help but think that with Oliver, I'd never needed a third wheel.


	15. Chapter 15

Opov

I apologized to Alicia for my outburst the next day and over the next few weeks things went back to normal. The rain continued and, Reagan was as busy as ever, but she was looking forward to the Christmas holidays where she'd had an entire week off.

"What are you planning to do?" I asked curiously as she and I walked to charms. Alicia had met up with Aiden earlier and were probably sitting together in the classroom already.

"Nothing." She said with a shrug. "Max is spending most of the week with his wife and kids and both my parents are going on vacation."

"Neither of them invited you?" I asked and she grinned.

"What are the odds right?" but I didn't laugh and her smile faded.

"What about Drake?" I asked knowing it was a long shot, trying to ignore the sick feeling in my stomach it gave me to think of her spending her holiday with him.

"He's taking his family to France." She said shrugging again.

"So you'll be alone?" I asked incredulously.

"Don't feel sorry for me Oliver." She complained. "You know I hate that. I'm the last person anyone should feel sorry for."

"But you shouldn't be alone on Christmas." I protested.

"I'll be fine."

"Why don't you come round my place?" I asked and she looked at me in surprise.

"On Christmas?"

"Yeah."

"I dunno Oliver." she said frowning. "Isn't that supposed to be a family day?"

"So?" I asked. "My family won't care Alicia comes for dinner every year, well except this year." She was going to be with Aiden's family. "Besides my little sister has been begging for me to introduce her to you for ages. She can't get a better present than a celebrity coming to her house."

She laughed.

"Alright." She said looking happier as we stepped into the charms classroom.

"It's settled then." I said as we took our seats. "You'll come over for Christmas and stay for dinner. And I'll be the coolest big brother on the planet for twenty-four hours."

"Well happy to help." Reagan said amused.

"Alright, alright, settle down." Flitwick said as he entered the room and the class quieted. "So today I'd thought we'd have a little fun since it's the holiday season." He said with a bright smile. "So I think we'll skip the lecture and work on one of the more amusing spells of our next unit, the entrancing enchantment."

Several of the girls giggled and Reagan looked a little put out.

"Doesn't that basically have the same effects of a love potion?" she whispered to me.

"Now I'll need you to partner up." He said with a roguish grin and Reagan and I immediately shifted closer together. "Perhaps find that special someone you've been noticing in the class…"

"Is he really making us do this?" Reagan asked in a groan while I noticed most other girls looked rather excited. Alicia was practically vibrating in her seat in the front row. Aiden didn't look too happy.

"Instructions are on the board." He said tapping it with his wand and the directions of the spell appeared suddenly in bright pink letters. "And I expect you all to practice your non verbal magic skills."

"Well looks like we're doing this." Reagan said with a sigh as she studied the board. "Do you want to go first or me?"

"You go first." I said and she raised an eyebrow.

"You want me to put the spell on you first?" she asked in what sounded like disbelief. "You really trust me?"

"Of course I do." I said frowning. "Why wouldn't I?"

Her response was to look up at the ceiling where a black scorch mark still remained from last lesson where she'd accidentally sent up a tall stream of fire that nearly barbequed the entire class.

"I'm sure it'll be fine." I said shrugging.

"Alright." She said pointing her wand at me. "You're funeral."

She concentrated for a moment, then after a complicated little flick, she lowered it and looked at me.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

"Not really that different." I said frowning.

Around me I saw swooning girls and preening guys all trying to impress the spell caster, Alicia and Aiden were cuddling in the front row.

"I guess I didn't do it right." Reagan said frowning.

"Maybe I'm just immune." I said with a shrug noticing as she brushed her hair behind her ear, just how soft her hair looked. It was beautiful really, long and black. It went well with her warm brown eyes.

'But I've had these thoughts before.' I reminded myself. 'Reagan's always been pretty. Well beautiful more like.'

"You ok?" she asked giving me a strange look. "I didn't mess up your brain or anything. Did I?"

"No." I said realizing just how close we were. I could smell her perfume, the smell of Vanilla. She mentioned Drake had sent it to her as an early Christmas gift.

A spike of anger went through me as I thought of him. He didn't deserve her.

"Then why do you look so angry?" she asked hesitantly looking over her shoulder. "I think I did something wrong… Uh Professor?" she called

"No!" I said quickly. "You didn't do anything wrong. You're perfect."

"Uh… what?" she asked.

"No I just mean," I said shaking my head. "I'm fine, nothing is wrong with me."

"Are you sure?" she asked. "Because you look weird."

"I'm fine." I said hardly registering that I was leaning closer to her now. All I knew was that she couldn't be close enough.

"Oliver…" she said her eye wide. "What are you doing?"

And the next thing I knew, my lips were on hers.

Rpov

Kissing Oliver was like riding a drop tower at a no-maj amusement park. I could see it coming, knew what was happening like the slow ride up high and higher, but I was strapped in and there was no way to stop it. As he leaned closer I froze, the anticipation had built, and then all at once it was released in a few seconds of heart stopping adrenaline and confusion. Then it was over and I realized something major.

I wanted to do it again.

I stared at Oliver my eyes wide and my heart beating like crazy.

Nothing had given me that sort of rush before. Not a free fall dive after a quaffle or out stripping a bludger on my way to score a goal. My heart continued to pound against my rib cage as if it was trying to break out and I stared at him, feeling as if fire was rushing through my veins, as if I was being pulled magnetically closer to him.

"Very good Miss Williams!" someone said and we both jumped to see Professor Flitwick jovially removing the spell from Oliver and the entire class was staring at us. "I haven't seen an entrancing enchantment strong enough to force a kiss since I was in school myself. Ten points to Gryffindor."

I went bright red as I made eye contact with Alicia who was staring at us slightly open mouthed. Oliver pushed back his chair looking stunned

"There's no need to be embarrassed Mr. Wood." Flitwick said amused as he walked back to the front of the class. "It's perfectly natural to get a bit carried way away with the effects of the spell." He smiled to himself as he turned to face the classroom again. "Let's add another ten points for Gryffindor just for pure entertainment shall we? It is almost Christmas after all."

He chuckled and people started whispering. I looked at Oliver, uncertain what to say or if he'd felt what I had felt.

"S-sorry." He said glancing at me, making eye contact then quickly looking away.

"It's fine." I said also looking at the front of the class. "It was just the spell right?"

"Yeah." He said awkwardly. "Just the spell."

"Who knew I'd be good at one for once?" I said nervously still feeling that powerful pull towards him that I couldn't explain.

He didn't respond to this and while we didn't speak for the rest of the lesson, I was starting to see what Alicia meant about the connection we seemed to share. Oliver didn't say a word even after the bell rang, but as we walked out of the class, my hand accidentally brushed him and his eyes met mine. At that second I knew exactly what he was thinking. It had been the same thing I'd been wondering the whole class.

Was it really just the spell?

Magic could do a lot of things, but I wasn't THAT good at it. And even if he'd been the one enchanted the spell shouldn't have affect me. So why couldn't I stop thinking about him? We separated for Astronomy and of magical creatures after charms and because we were only taking care of flubber worms, I had a lot of time to think about what had just happened.

I didn't know about Oliver but for me, that couldn't have been just the magic…


	16. Chapter 16

Opov

Reagan and I didn't talk about what happened during charms. I think we were both too afraid of what the other might say to even come close to discussing it.

Alicia was furious with me.

"How can you still say you don't fancy her?" she asked angrily one day after Astronomy as we walked to lunch. "Nobody else was kissing each other in charms, not even Aiden and I!"

I'd told her I didn't want to talk about it to avoid getting into another fight but she was right about one thing. I couldn't think that I had no feelings for Reagan anymore.

Even if she'd produced an uncharacteristically powerful spell for her, that didn't explain why the effects didn't wear off after the spell was removed.

Ever since that day in charms. I found I wanted to be around Reagan more than any other person. My heart rate increased whenever she was around and all I could think about was kissing her again. I barely even thought about Alicia any more, as anything more than a friend anyways. I couldn't believe anything could have taken me away from focusing on our upcoming match against Ravenclaw. What was wrong with me?

Before I knew it, the winter holidays had arrived and I was stepping off the train with Alicia to find our parents on the platform. Reagan hadn't taken the train back. She'd had a scrimmage to go to before her week off and would just go back to her place in London afterward.

"So you're not going to say anything to her?" Alicia said in disappointment as we dragged our trunks through station. It was much less crowded than it had been this summer. I guess the press knew that Reagan wasn't going to be here. "Not even when she's spending Christmas with your family?"

"Nope." I said shaking my head.

"But Oliver you like her!" she said in frustration. "I know you do! Why won't you admit it?"

"Because she's going out with someone else." I said in frustration. "What good would it do me Alicia?"

Drake and Reagan had gone to several more media events together now. Alicia was right, I probably should have asked her out weeks ago before it was too late but now it was.

While she never said what their relationship was, the way they presented themselves in the papers made it look like they were together. Certainly the 'Prophet' was setting them up to be with oh so catchy front page titles like "Love in the Air" or "From Heartthrob to Caring Heart" with pictures of them at all of their many events they were supposed to attend.

"I don't know what to do with you." She said shaking her head. "You never listen to me and I'm always right."

"Yeah rub it in a little more why don't you." I said bitterly and she fell silent.

"Well good luck." She said giving me a sympathetic look as we spotted my parents and my little sister all waving madly at me about ten feet down the platform

"You want to come say hi?"

"No I've got to get going." She said waving at my family as well and turning to give me a hug. "My family are over there." She finished nodding on the opposite side of the platform.

We let go and after a quick wave at Alicia's parents, I quickly walked over to my family.

"Oliver." Cassie whined looking passed me after giving me a hug. "Where's Reagan?"

She was a few inches taller than when I'd last seen her, I guess while I was gone she'd had a growth spurt. Almost eleven and she was taller than most girls her age and she was starting to very like my mother. Her long blonde hair was pulled back into braids and her blue eyes were looking at me expectant

"I told you Cass." I said in exasperation giving my parents each a hug in turn then looking down at her again. "She'll come over in a couple of days."

"I can't believe your friends with her." She said looking up at me in adoration. "You know I didn't believe it until you sent me pictures."

"Well you'll be able to get your own soon." I said with a grin.

She smiled and as we walked out of the station, into the freezing December air. As we walked, my father and I got into a discussion about England's chances in the world cup.

"I think we've got a shot." I said as we walked into an alley where, after they made sure no one was looking, my father and mother would disapparate along with Cass and I.

"Yeah, well you have to now don't you?" he asked with a knowing smile. People said we looked a like, it was true I'd gotten his tall frame and dark hair, but his eyes were blue like Cass's. "You've got a friend on the team but I'm telling you son, it's going to be Ireland."

"They don't score as much as we do." I pointed out. "Now that we have Reagan-"

"We've got a better offense true but I'm sorry Oliver." He said shrugging. "Our Defense is still not as good as it should be. We might be scoring more goals now, but when we play against a team that really knows what they're doing. They're going to take a new player on the team like Reagan, and exploit the young dynamic. The only reason we're not drowning in goals against is because Fissure is so good in the back, but he can't do it all himself."

"What about Styles?" I asked and he raised an eyebrow.

"Have you ever seen Styles play defense?"

"No." I admitted.

"Yeah, me neither." He said with a gruff smile and after a quick look over his shoulder, he held out his arm.

I grabbed it and within and instant I felt the horrible sensation of being pressed in on from all sides. My lungs ached for air, my ears popped madly and just as I thought it would be too much, I found I was back at home in the country side surrounded by large grassy hills and the miniature quidditch field my family had set up in the backyard for my father, myself, and now Cass since she was old enough, to play.

"What do you say?" my father asked grinning when he spotted me staring at the hoops. "Want to see if all that practicing at school can help you finally stop your old man from scoring on you?"

I grinned.

"Oh no." my mother said. She looked very much like Cassie, except her eyes were the same shade of brown as mine. "You are going to put your things away." She said looking at me. "Then you're both washing up for dinner."

"But Mum-" I started.

"No buts!" she said with a tone of finality and my father and I looked at each other.

"After dinner?" he asked and I smirked.

"You're on."

Rpov

I had to admit, I didn't enjoy my week off as much as I thought I would. I was so used to being busy, now that I had free time I didn't know what to do with myself. It might have been better if I had friends to hangout with but everyone was gone even Max. I found that I was glad to be going to Oliver's on Christmas. Even if I felt like it might be an intrusion on his family time he was right, I was glad I wasn't going to be alone.

I stared in the mirror anxiously wondering why I cared what I looked like. Usually, I would have just gone in a hoodie and jeans, but today I thought I'd look nice. A blue sweater dress and boots had been my final decision after what felt like hours of debate, but I was starting to regret my choice. Already I was uncomfortable.

'Why does it matter so much?' I thought vaguely walking away from the mirror and looking at the broken cookie tin on my bed that would be my ride to Oliver's place. In one last holiday favor, Max had taken the time to set up a portkey that would take me to and from Oliver's house.

I'd never really cared much about looking pretty, but it seemed to be constantly on my mind for the passed couple of days. It was why I changed my outfit at least five times this morning and even then I still wasn't sure.

I glanced back at the mirror then quickly looked away in frustration.

"I'm not changing again." I said stubbornly then flopped on my bed next to the portkey.

It didn't leave for another few minutes but I found myself unable to do anything but sit here and wait. I felt agitated, nervous even. I wasn't sure why. This was Oliver, it was no big deal, but no big deal seemed to have been thrown out the window ever since we'd kissed. It felt as if nothing had changed, but everything had. I still liked being around him, I liked it a lot, but something was different now and I wasn't sure what to do about it.

'One thing was for sure though.' I thought. 'Alicia was right. Oliver is a good kisser.'

I sat back up feeling my cheeks burn and tried to calm down.

'It was just a kiss,' I reminded myself. 'And he was under a spell. Oliver likes Alicia.'

'And you're supposed to like Drake.' A voice said in the back of my mind and I looked at the perfume bottle that was resting on my nightstand that he'd given me for Christmas.

Drake and I had never spoken about being official. It seemed like before we even could the media had forced us together and then he'd had to go on tour. I didn't exactly know what was happening with him, we wrote back and forth but we were both so busy that it was hard to know where things were going.

When I thought about it, yes, I really did like Drake. He was handsome and charming and a talented individual, but I couldn't help but feel like I had to convince myself why I liked him but with Oliver…

With Oliver it was just easy. I didn't have to think or worry or wonder, he was just there and I was happy around him. But I guess he felt that way around someone else.

I looked down at my dress and sighed.

"I probably shouldn't have bothered." I muttered to myself before laying back down and looking up at the ceiling again.

Well, maybe I'd make a good impression on his family.

They were another reason I was so nervous. I'd never had to worry about meeting anyone's family before. Was there a certain way I was supposed to act?

I pondered on this for a moment, but was quickly jerked back to reality when the portkey started going blue.

I hastily touched my finger to it and felt something grab behind my stomach and the next thing I knew I was standing outside a big white house with black shudders in the middle of fenced off fields and hills that were blanketed in snow.

I shivered, whishing I'd remembered to put on a jacket then quickly walked up to the front door and knocked.

Almost immediately I heard and excited voice say.

"She's here! She's here! She's here! She's here!"

There was the sound of running foot steps then someone skidded to a halt and opened the door.

"Oh my god." Said a girl I put at about ten with wide blue eyes and long blonde hair staring at me.

"Hi." I said looking down at her. "You must be Cas-"

But before I could finish my sentence she let out a small scream and pulled me into a surprisingly strong hug for a girl her size.

"Would you stop being such a freak and let her go?" Oliver said coming down the stares but then coming to a stop when he spotted me.

"Am I over dressed?" I asked noticing he'd taken my usual route in a sweater in jeans but he quickly shook his head and smiled.

"No." he said quickly. "You look great."

"Thanks." I said as his little sister disentangled herself from me.

"Mum! Dad!" she shouted excitedly while giving me one last glance then running down the hall. "She's here!"

"So apparently you're here." Oliver said grinning and shutting the door behind me as we followed Cassie down the hall but at a much slower pace.

"Yeah." I said my nerves mounting. Photos of his family lined the walls as we entered dining room and I spotted two people sitting at a large family table who could only have been his parents while Cassie continued to bounce around the room.

"Hello Reagan." A tall blonde woman said and I noticed she had the same kind brown eyes as her son. The man sitting next to him could have been Oliver but in twenty years. He had that same dark hair and that same solid "Keeper"ness about him that I found so reassuring in Oliver.

"Merry Christmas." I said nervously and they stared blankly at me for a second.

"Did you forget she's American?" Oliver asked with a slight grin as they recovered.

"It's very possible." His father said standing and holding out a hand for me to shake. "I'm Derek, this is my wife Tracy."

"Nice to meet you." I said shaking his hand but when I reached out for hers, she smiled and pulled me into a hug.

"We've heard so much about you from Oliver. It's so lovely to meet you in person." She said brightly then letting me go to take a look at me. "I don't know which is more unbelievable." She said amused. "That he's met someone who loves quidditch as much as he does, or that he talks about something other than quidditch now."

"Mum." Oliver hissed and I could see he looked mortified but she ignored him.

"Can we get you anything?" she asked. "Water, hot chocolate?"

Before I could answer Cassie, who'd run out of the room suddenly about thirty seconds ago came sprinting back in holding an enormous poster with me smiling in my quidditch robes and holding my fire bolt plastered over it.

"Hey Reagan, will you sign this pleeeeeeeeaaasseeee?" she asked looking up at me hopefully.

"Sure." I said and she giggled with delight as Oliver said.

"Cass don't pester her, she just got there."

"But-"

"Oliver's right dear." Tracy said in a stern voice then looked at me. "Was that a yes or no on the hot chocolate?"

"Uh sure." I said. "I'll have one."

"Me too." Oliver said quickly.

"Same." Cassie said excitedly.

"I'll just make enough for everyone." She said brightly heading towards the stove and Derek looked at me.

"So Reagan." He said with an interested look. "How do you like playing for England."

"I love it." I said and I sat down with Oliver across the table from him. "It's a totally different dynamic but that's what I was looking for when I came over."

"Well no one can complain about our performance that's for sure." He said with a grin. "You've had quite the goal streak going on for you haven't you? Let's hope that keeps up."

I blushed.

"I'll do my best." I said. "But I have a lot of help."

"Is she always this modest?" he asked looking towards Oliver.

"Yep." Oliver said taking a bite out of an apple that was resting in the fruit bowl on the table. "She's like Harry. You practically forget she's famous."

"Well then I think it's time we be reminded of why." He said grinning. "We've got some hoops out back if you want to go toss the quaffle around for a little bit."

"Sure." I said feeling slightly more in my element. "But I'm not exactly dressed for it."

"You can borrow something of mine dear." Oliver's mother said coming back in levitating several mugs of hot chocolate with her wand and setting them down on the table. "You can't expect these two to let something like your outfit to stop them from playing quidditch."

So fifteen minutes later, dressed for the cold, Oliver, his father, Cassie, and I were all heading out to the mini quidditch field they'd set up in their back yard. Oliver had let me borrow his old broom.

"So how are we going to beat them?" Cassie said as she narrowed her eyes at her brother. Oliver made a funny face at her from across the field. Snow had started to drift lightly from the gray clouds above us and I smiled. She looked so determined.

"Why are you asking me?" I asked her.

"Because you're you." She said as if this were obvious.

"You've played more against your brother and father than I have." I pointed out. "The game plan is all yours."

Her eyes went wide.

"You mean, I get to be team captain." She asked in wonder

"If you like." I said and her face split into a bright smile.

"Wow." She said excitedly but then got a serious expression. "So you should be on offense obviously. My dad's a pretty good shot but I think if we cover them both then we've got a shot at breaking up their passes. You take Oliver…"

I couldn't help but catch Oliver's eye as she spoke. He was smiling slightly, watching as his sister excitedly made plans of his demise and when he spotted me, his smile grew.

"Hey Reagan." Cassie said and I looked down at her determined expression. "No fraternizing with the enemy. Stop smiling at each other." She said raising her voice so Oliver would hear.

"Right you are captain." I said seriously and she smiled again.

"You guys ready?" Mr. Wood shouted.

"Ready!" we called back as we mounted our brooms.

"We'll start with the quaffle," he said grabbing the red ball and tucking it under his arm. "On your marks, get set, GO!"

We all shot up into the air and after a brief moment where I saw Oliver, wearing the same determined expression as his sister, getting into place, then the game began.


	17. Chapter 17

Opov

After about an hour of frozen flying my mother called us into the house telling us to wash up and started getting ready for dinner.

I was surprised when Reagan, now back in her own clothes, immediately made her way to the kitchen to help, and even more surprised when she seemed right at home.

"I didn't know you could cook." I said interestedly as she flicked through my mother's cook book and getting to work on the gravy.

"Oliver." She said with an incredulous laugh. "I've lived on my own for two years now. How do you think I kept myself fed?"

"Max." I said honestly impressed by the delicious smell that was coming from the pot she was currently stirring. "Or a personal cheff."

"Like I had the money for that back then." She said shaking her head. "I was extremely broke."

"Well no one can call you that now." My father said with a laugh as he entered the kitchen and picked up a stack of plates.

"No they cannot." She said with a slight grin over her shoulder and still chuckling, he went back to the dining room to set the table.

"So," I said giving her a critical eye and she raised an eyebrow while adding something form the cutting board into the stuffing. "Philanthropist, quidditch star, and chef, what other unexpected talents are you hiding?" I asked and she smiled.

"Well if I told you that they wouldn't be unexpected when they revealed themselves would they?" she said playfully.

"Well you've got me there." I said with a smile and she looked at me with an expression that was hard to read for a second, but then quickly returned to the stove.

"Can you hand me that peeler?" she asked allowing her hair to hide her face from me and I felt a sense of disappointment as I reached next to the sink and handed her the requested appliance.

She pulled her wand out of her pocket then waved it in the direction of a sack of potatoes that immediately started to peel themselves.

"You used magic." I said not sure why I decided to mention this but pleased when she looked back up at me. "Usually you would do this sort of thing by hand." I explained and again she gave me that unreadable expression that made my heart race increase.

I couldn't explain it, but while she was looking at me steadily, I found it hard to maintain eye contact with her.

"It's easier around you." She said shrugging.

"Magic?" I asked quietly though I wasn't sure why.

"Everything."

Suddenly, the door to the kitchen opened and we stepped apart to see my mom looking over her shoulder calling to my father.

"Oh no honey, use the nice china, we have company for heaven's sake. Reagan," she said looking at us and I wasn't sure why but I felt my stomach contract. It felt as if we'd been interrupted. "Do you mind getting the potatoes-" but she cut herself off when she saw the potatoes sitting in a peeled pile on the counter.

"Oh." She said stopping and looking a little shocked. "Well thank you dear."

"No problem." Reagan said politely looking a little glad to have a distraction.

"Well if the potatoes are peeled then we just need to finished the mashed potatoes and we should be alright." My mother said completely unware of the tension that had so recently vacated the space between Reagan and I.

"Is there anything else you need help with?" she asked.

"Not that I can think of." She said as she drifted to the stove to see the many pots that were simmering. "I know that Cass wanted to show you her room."

"You'll find a lot of posters of yourself in there. Just so you know." I warned her and she smiled.

"I'll try not to freak out." She said and stepped out of the kitchen to find Cassie.

"She's very sweet isn't she?" my mother said smiling after Reagan after she'd shut the kitchen door.

"Yeah, she's pretty cool." I agreed turning to the gravy and giving it a stir so I didn't have to look at her.

"I like her." She said and I could tell she was still grinning. "It's not many girls who can beat you and your father at quidditch."

"Don't remind me." I said shaking my head and she laughed.

Reagan and Cassie had given us a thorough thrashing when we'd played earlier, I think the final score had been 260 to 140.

"Well I hope we get to see more of her." She said and I glanced at her. "It's nice for you to bring home a girl besides Alicia for once."

"You love Alicia." I said in surprise.

"Of course I do sweet heart." She said looking at me in shock. "But even you have to admit, it's nice to have Reagan here."

"Yeah." I said quietly.

"What's wrong?" she asked frowning.

"Nothing." I said shaking my head, clearing an image of Reagan and Drake together. "I'm going to go find Cass."

I exited the kitchen and walked up the stairs only to find Reagan looking at Cassie's entire quidditch card collection. She smiled at me and I saw that she'd just signed her own card. Cassie really did look like a kid on Christmas.

I smiled and entered the room.

"You ladies having fun?"

"Get out of my room." Cassie said annoyed.

"I'm just looking." I protested but Cassie had already stood and was making flapping gestures at me.

"No boys allowed!" she said and when I stepped back in alarm she shut the door in my face.

"But she's my friend!" I called indignantly through the door not exactly sure what had just happened.

"You can see her at dinner!" Cassie shouted back sounding unconcerned.

…

Cassie was as bad as her word. I didn't see Reagan until the table was set and the food brought to the table. She monopolized the conversation with Reagan, and I could barely get a word in until my mother had sent her off to bed and Reagan and I were walking through our frozen garden to get a little air after my parents had some friends over and they'd gone through several bottles of wine.

"I like your family." She said eventually grinning as we heard several laughs from the dining room.

"They love you." I said softly and she smiled.

"I like your house too." She said looking up at the dark night sky. Snow was still falling, catching in her dark hair and landing on the shoulders of the jacket I'd let her borrow. "I bet it was amazing to grow up here. You were probably able to fly all the time." She finished with a dream tone.

"You didn't get to fly much as a kid?" I asked curiously.

"I got to fly a few times a week with the girls in my neighborhood before they went to the dark side." She said dubiously. "We'd fly at night at a wizarding park hidden behind a bunch of hills, but it was all very limited and even then we didn't get to go very far. It never seemed enough…" her voice faded slightly and I knew she was remembering her first friends before they'd been convinced to turn on her by her bullies.

"They were the first people you ever played quidditch with right?" I asked.

"Yeah." She said quietly with a soft smile.

It amazed me how kind of a heart she had. She could look back on memories of girls who'd set her up for the worst humiliation of her life and still smile.

"I wish I'd been able to see you back then." I said with a grin. "You know, just learning to fly. I bet you were a natural."

"I really wasn't." she said. "I was so scared to get off the ground it took me several tries but finally when I got up high enough and saw the world from that vantage point. I dunno, something changed in me I guess." She said quietly. "Like something happened in that moment I saw the world with new eyes, from a place where I was away from everything. Finally happy. I felt free. It just felt like somewhere where I belonged. You know what I mean?"

I thought back to the moment in charms when I'd kissed her. It wasn't like kissing Alicia or any other girlfriend I'd had. It was something much deeper, more meaningful. It hadn't felt awkward or forced, it just felt right. Like she was supposed to be there, like it was where she belonged.

"Yeah." I said softly.

Silence stretched between us as we continued to walk in the garden watching the snow fall around us.

"Do you want to fly?" I asked looking down at her.

She'd been staring up at the sky but her eyes turned to me and I felt my heart rate increase when she smiled.

"The day I say no to that question is the day I've been replaced by an imposter and you have full permission to throttle me."

"Well let's hope it never comes to that." I said reaching for my broom which had been resting against the house. "You don't mind sharing do you?" I asked. The other brooms had been put away in the shed for the night.

"No." she said shrugging and I mounted my broom feeling her arms warp around me as we hovered for a moment then I nudged the broom forward and we rose in the air. The air was freezing, but I didn't feel cold. My heart hammered against my ribs as she redoubled her grip and said.

"It's so beautiful."

I looked down to see all the little country houses blanketed in snow, lights shining from their windows throwing multicolored patches on the white ground.

I looked back at Reagan who, smiling at the view below, hadn't seen me.

"Yeah." I said quietly turning back, and pushing the broom to go faster while thinking of her smile. "It is."

We didn't fly very long. It was getting very late and I knew that if Reagan didn't take her portkey soon it would leave with out her. We touched back down into the icy garden after what could only have been twenty minutes and then we walked back into the house, still avoiding my parents and their drunken friends and I walked her into the entrance hallway where the portkey was resting.

"I'm really glad you invited me." She said looking up at me. "I had a really nice time with you and your family."

"I'm glad you came. They all loved you." I said honestly and she smiled.

"Well, I guess I'll see you when we get back to school." She said.

"Yeah." I agreed and while I was excited to see her again, it dawned on me with a sudden gut wrenching realization that we'd be starting the second half of the year when we returned to Hogwarts. My time with Reagan, no matter what she said about spending time together after school, seemed to be rapidly running out.

"Are you ok?" she asked frowning.

"Yeah." I repeated but I wasn't. I'd almost been looking forward to graduation. Finally, I had a chance to be out on my own, to do things my way but now… now I might never see her again.

"Are you sure?" she asked looking concerned. "Because you look like you're about to be sick."

"I'm fine." I said forcing my thoughts from this dark topic and looking at her.

"Alright." She said, but she still looked worried.

But then, she did something that totally threw me off guard. She stood on her toes and kissed me on the cheek.

"Thank you Oliver." She said smiling up at me. "For everything."

"No problem." I said softly.

I watched as she touched her finger to the portkey and vanished.

I stood there for a second, gently brushing my fingers over the place where she'd kissed me until a voice said.

"That was pathetic Ollie."

I looked up to see Cassie looking at me from the railings at the top of the stairs. She was in an over sized t shirt and was looking down at me with distaste. As if I'd disappointed her.

"How are we ever going to get her in the family if you won't even kiss her?" she asked.

"You're supposed to be in bed." I said sourly.

"Yes and boys are supposed to tell girls when they're in love with them." She said shrewdly. "But here we are."

"I'm not in love with Reagan." I said irritated while walking up the stairs and pushing passed her.

"Oh really?" she asked crossing her arms over her chest and following me as I walked to my room.

"Yes really." I said sitting on my bed while she leaned against the frame of my door with an expression that clearly stated 'I don't believe you'.

"I saw the way you were looking at her Ollie." She said with a sigh. "It's the same way you used to look at your friend Alicia, only this time, I think it's real."

"This time?" I asked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I never thought Alicia was right for you." She said her arms still crossed over her chest. "Don't get me wrong, I like her as a person but I dunno, whenever she was around you just didn't seem like yourself. You were always so tense, afraid to do something wrong and she never seemed to notice it wasn't the real you but with Reagan…" she said hesitating. "You were you."

"Well it doesn't matter anyways." I said shaking my head. "She has a boyfriend. A super famous boyfriend who I couldn't compete even if I wanted to."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that." She said.

"What does that mean?" I asked and she shrugged.

"I just get the feeling Reagan doesn't care about that kind of stuff."

"You met her for six hours." I said indigently.

"Yeah and she spent six hours with her friend's little sister and his family rather than going to some big event with the A listers." She pointed out. "She chose to be here. With us and more importantly with you. Where is Alicia right now?"

"With her boyfriend." I answered.

"Reagan chose to be with you today Oliver." She said. "And I think that means something."

"Really?" I asked hopefully and she nodded.

A moment of silence passed between us before she straightened up and said.

"Well, I'm going to bed before Mum and Dad catch me up. Happy Christmas Ollie."

"Happy Christmas." I said quietly, watching her walk back down the hall thinking about what she'd said about Reagan and unable to help hoping that she had a point.


	18. Chapter 18

Thanks for the latest review! Honestly, I'd kind of forgotten about this story because I hit a bit of writers block and never really picked it back up, but I'm working on it some more now. Sorry if anyone who was originally reading this sees this, I know it's been a while. Also, Merry Christmas! If you don't celebrate it, still hope you have a nice day!

~Secrethalfblood

Rpov

One thing to be said about Coach Grove, he didn't believe in easing into things. I groaned and tried not to throw up from the bludger I'd taken to the stomach.

"Is that all you ladies got?" he shouted irritated up at us. "Everybody the ground NOW!"

We landed around him and I looked at my battered team mates. It was the first weekend after Christmas break, and we'd had a long Saturday practice. We'd just finished a drill Coach had called 'The Gauntlet' which was basically just us playing with eight bludgers at once which he claimed was to 'heighten our reflexes' after a week off. Personally, I thought he just wanted to solidify his position as coach by proving he could almost kill us and get away with it.

"I think Larry got hit in the head Mum." Jason said inspecting the chaser and seeing if he could track his finger as he passed it back and forth before his eyes. "He should probably see a healer."

"Take him." He said impatiently and Jason put Larry's arm around his shoulder, then guided him unsteadily towards the trainer's office.

"The rest of you." He said looking around at us. "I hope your bag is packed because there's been a change of plan's, we're leaving tonight."

"Wait what?" I asked feeling a shock go through me. Our next game was in Germany, but it wasn't until Friday. The team wasn't supposed to leave until this Tuesday, and I wasn't supposed to get there until Thursday night.

"Yeah. You lot have spent too much time apart over the holiday and I will not have that separation messing with our team dynamic. You three in the front are really starting to connect now, especially you and Styles." He said looking at me. "So this week is devoted to a mini team camp, all meals, activities, and training will be done together. We leave at five, I expect all of you to be here. Anson, tell Jason and Larry when they get back."

"Right coach." He said with a nod and I felt torn.

"Coach, I can't leave tonight I've got an exam on Thursday and a project due on Monday."

"Your agent will work it all out." he said sounding unconcerned. "He always does. Isn't that what you pay him for?"

"But I'm supposed to work with my partner tonight, it's a group pro-"

"Williams." He said stiffly. "I don't care about your personal problems. If your schooling conflicts with our practices then you figure them out on your own time, but when you signed your contract you agreed that your position on this team took top priority. And you either honor that contract or you're off this team."

"Yes sir," I muttered. Oliver was going to kill me…

"Portkey leaves at seven." He said gruffly. "I expect you to meet back here at sixty forty five, _all_ of you." he said glaring at me. "Anyone who is late is benched. Anyone who misses the portkey can hand in their robes when we get back. You won't be needing them anymore."

As we walked back to the locker room, several of them rolled their eyes muttering about Coach being so dramatic, irritated that they'd have to cancel plans with friends or loved ones, but no one seemed as worried as I felt. I guess it wasn't like they'd miss work or anything, this was their job. But I was the only one who had school to consider. How angry would Oliver be that I wouldn't be there to turn in our project in Charms?

I changed into my street clothes and hoped to find Max in the training facility. He wasn't always here, but he liked to check in every once in a while after practice and I knew he'd want to talk about my schedule change. I'd been searching for about twenty minutes and was about to give up when he found me.

"Oh thank Houdini!" He said in relief running down the hall that lead to the trainer's room. "I finally found you! We've got to go."

"I was hoping you could get me a portkey to Hogwarts." I said. I originally meant to spend the night in London then head back tomorrow after practice, but now I wanted to be able to go back before we left.

"There's no time for that." He said shaking his head.

"But we're leaving today. I need my school things…"

"I know that. I've already taken care of it. Your books and your luggage will be waiting for you when you get to Germany."

"So I can't so goodbye to my friends?" I asked in disappointment. It was only three. I still had a few hours.

"Sorry Ray." He said shaking his head. "But I've just managed to land a major sponsor. _Shinehandle_ , that broomstick polish, wants to meet in an hour to negotiate a contract and you've got an interview with the _Prophet_ at five."

"Why do I have to talk to them?" I asked indignantly.

"They're doing some fluff piece about the biggest stories to happen over the year and they want to talk to you about Drake."

I felt myself go crimson.

"Why do they care about that?"

"Apparently that's the angle they're pushing. I mean, it was all over the news when you two started dating. They said if you gave an interview together it would probably be on the front page."

"But I don't want that on the front page, I don't want to talk about this at all." I said angrily. "It's private."

"Reagan, you're a celebrity. Nothing you do is private."

"But I don't need to be interviewed about it." I said indignantly. "It's nobody's business but my own. Why would you sign me up for something like this? You didn't even ask."

"His PR team set the whole thing up." He frowned. "They said that you said you were alright with it. Didn't he tell you?"

"No." I said feeling blindsided. "He didn't say anything."

"Well." He said awkwardly. "I could try and cancel it or get the topic changed, but they're marketing this as a major story. They already announced the interview in this morning's issue. Fans are expecting you to do it. If you don't…"

His sentence died but he didn't have to finish it. If people had read there was going to be an interview, it didn't matter if I hadn't been asked. They'd want the information and if I didn't go, it would look badly on me.

"Fine." I said reluctantly. "I'll go."

"I'm so sorry Ray." He said awkwardly. "I thought you knew."

"It's fine. It's not your fault." I said shaking my head. In the years we'd worked together, this was the only time he'd screwed up and it wasn't even his mistake. I could let it slide. "How much time until we have to leave?" Maybe I could send an owl to Oliver, try and explain.

"None," he said shaking his head. "We've got to leave now. We're already cutting it close to the meeting with _Shinehandle_ , if we leave now we'll just make it in time."

"But I haven't even showered." I protested.

"That's too bad. Let's go." He said and dragged me towards the exit of the training compound.

The next hour and a half were a whirl wind of meetings with executives in business robes, talking about stock options, endorsements, and advertising rights I didn't understand but let Max handle. Finally, when I got back to my apartment, I found it was already full of people.

"Finally, you're here." A blond witch said impatiently and I was dragged past a camera crew and several people that were most certainly from the _Prophet_ , then forced into a make up chair.

"What is going on?" I asked trying to bat away the make up she'd charmed to attack my face.

"Make up." She said annoyed. "Or do you want to looked washed out on camera?"

"I don't want any photographs." I said angrily. "No one said anything about that."

"We'll you're getting them." She said snatching a lip gloss I'd managed to trap out of my hand and applying it. "Honestly, why can't you be more like your boyfriend? He did this no fuss." she said nodding towards Drake who seemed to be talking to Allen in the corner.

"Do you have any other hairstyle then ponytail?" the girl asked annoyed yanking my hair out as she grabbed her wand.

"I just got back from practice." I said incredulously.

"Athletes." She muttered rolling her eyes. "You always use that excuse. Hold your breath and close your eyes."

"Why should I-"

But a huge powder puff smacked me in the face and I coughed as I breathed in several of the particles.

"I warned you." she said in a bored voice.

After a few more minutes of being poked with eyeliner and told to sit still, I was ushered to the couch where several lights and cameras had been set up. I was forced next to Drake and across from a reporter with ridiculous nails and curled blonde hair that I knew had to be charmed that way for it to stay.

"I'm sorry about this." Drake said quietly as the woman sucked on her quill. It was acid green and wrote on it's own as she then spoke to it. "I don't exactly know what happened. They came to Allen with the story yesterday, and he asked if you were ok with it. I said you probably would be and I guess he took that to mean yes. I didn't even know this was happening until a couple of hours ago."

"How could you think I'd be ok with this?" I asked him in shock.

"Not having a lover's quarrel are we darlings?" the woman asked and Drake looked uneasy. He seemed a little afraid of her.

"I don't think we've met." I said looking at her and while she smiled at me, it was sly and didn't reach her eyes.

"Oh my dear girl where are my manners?" she asked quickly but without embarrassment. "I'm Rita Skeeter, _Daily Prophet_ reporter and of course we all know who you are."

Her grin grew.

"So Reagan, let's get right down to it shall we? We all know what the readers want, what we're all here for. It's you two." She said in a charismatic tone I didn't trust "So, what's it like being a celebrity in love?"

"Uh, what?" I asked. When had anyone said anything about love…

"Well you know how these things go." She said easily and while nothing had been said, the quill was darting rapidly across the parchment it was hovering next to. "Your lives are so well covered in the media. Is it exciting to be getting this much attention? Does it feed the passion? You two were caught in quite the whirlwind romance."

I glanced at Drake uncertainly. Whirlwind romance? She was acting as if we were about to get married when really we'd only been on a couple of dates.

"It has its challenges." Drake said neutrally. "But like the best things in life, you've got to work at it. That's what makes it worth it."

"Interesting." She said her eyes narrowing at Drake as if she wasn't satisfied by his answer. "And what about you Reagan?" she asked turning to me. "You seem awfully quiet over there. You didn't look happy to be at this interview at all. Are you willing to work like Drake? You just moved to a new country and started with a new team all while juggling your final year at school. Do you really think you can handle such a high profile relationship at the moment?"

"I-" I started a little uncertainly but Drake cut me off.

"Reagan has been breaking international records since she was fifteen. She can handle a couple changes in her environment."

"Interesting." She said shortly but looked disappointed I didn't answer. I couldn't help but feel a little annoyed Drake had answered for me. The truth was, I wasn't exactly sure what I had been about to say, but it certainly wasn't anything like that.

Skeeter seemed to notice because her eyes darted to me.

"I noticed you haven't said anything Reagan." she said quickly. "Do you agree with Drake, or is there something you want to say?"

I was about to open my mouth and say exactly what I felt. Angry I'd been blindsided by this interview, irritated that Drake had set this whole thing up without even asking me, but most of all, upset that I wasn't even going to see my friends before I left for a week, but I caught Max's eye and he shook his head. I changed gears at top speed.

"I think Drake is right." I said reverting to interview mode and smiling noticing that Drake looked a little relieved. "It can be difficult sometimes, but important things are worth working for."

"Well it's nice to see you two are on a united front." She said but she looked a little annoyed, as if she'd hoped we'd break into a fight. I guess it would make a good story, but a story was what I was hoping to avoid and if that meant I had to sit here and smile like an idiot while pretending not to be angry at Drake then I would. I'd rather have one happy headline, then a week of front page stories in the tabloids about my relationship with Drake and if it was in trouble or not.

"Look, Ray, I'm really sorry about all that." He apologized again after the press had left and we'd taken all the photographs they'd wanted.

"Yeah, you said that." I said tiredly as I wandered around my apartment pretending to 'pack', though knowing Max would have arranged for me to have everything I'd need when I got to Germany.

"I feel awful."

"Just forget about it."

"You're still angry with me, aren't you?" he asked sounding disappointed and I looked at him uncertainly.

"I just don't know why you'd even think I'd agree to do that sort of thing in the first place." I said with a sigh putting down a dictionary I had no intention of taking with me.

"I dunno." He said shrugging. "It's just, any girl I've ever dated when asked to interview about me always said yes. With or without my permission, but I guess I should have realized with you that's not the case."

"It's not just your life they're asking about." I said angrily.

"I know. It was stupid of me. You're not some girl who's looking for her fifteen minutes of fame. I just, I didn't think."

"Why would you even want to do that?" I asked him. "Why didn't you tell Allen no?"

"For the same reason you didn't say no to Max." he said shrugging. "We're famous Ray. It's what we signed up for. Like it or not people are going to talk about us, we might as well control what they say. It's not that big of a deal."

"But it's nobody else's business," I said bitterly. "It's private."

"Reagan." He said impatiently. "When two famous people date, there's no such thing as private. Can you think of one thing we've done together where we weren't photographed? I know you like your space but c'mon. Be realistic, if you wanted a simple relationship with a regular guy you're never going to get that. It just doesn't work with who you are."

"I should really finish getting ready to leave." I said quietly and he looked upset.

"Alright. I'll see you when you get back?" he asked.

"Yeah." I said not looking at him.

"Ok. Well, good luck on Friday. Make sure you annoy Jason for me."

"I will." I said and he gave me one final look before exiting the apartment and I sat on the couch. Just this week, things had seemed so great. I'd been doing well in classes for once and Flitwick had assigned Oliver as my partner for our Charms project, now it felt like my life was pressing on me from all sides.

Maybe Skeeter was right. Maybe I had taken on too much.

I glanced at the door through which Drake had left then sighed and closed my eyes while leaning back on the couch feeling tired. I wished Oliver was here. I wasn't sure if he'd have any advice, but I was certain he'd make me feel better, even if it was something as simple as talking about quidditch. I'd long since found out Drake didn't really know much about it.

'You don't have time for this.' A voice in the back of my head said and I opened my eyes to see on the clock above the television that I needed to leave. If I didn't started heading to the training complex I'd be late, and I couldn't miss that portkey.

'Maybe he's right.' I thought dully as I locked my apartment and made my way towards the elevators that would take me to the lobby and out into the muggle world. 'Maybe you can't have a normal relationship.'

I found this thought extremely depressing. I'd never really thought much about what I wanted from life apart from quidditch, but I guess I'd always sort of assumed I'd end up with someone. The sort of someone who was as obsessed with my sport as I was and I could laugh or do nothing with for hours. Someone who'd want to stay in with me, instead of all those stupid events we'd order pizza and stay at home or go to a game. I was starting to realize what I'd thought I wanted and where I'd ended up were not the same. In fact, they were quite different, and I wasn't sure I was happy about it.


	19. Chapter 19

Opov

Reagan and I were supposed to work on our charms project together after she got back from her practice on Saturday but she never returned. I wasn't worried at first, her practices had run late before and I figured we could just do our work on Sunday if we had to, but as Alicia walked into the Great Hall alone I felt myself frown.

"Hey, have you seen Reagan?" I asked in concern as she sat down.

"No." she said comfortably.

"She didn't come back to the dormitory last night?"

"She might of," she said shrugging, apparently unconcerned. "I figured she just had to stay late and stayed in London or woke up early to practice with you."

"I haven't seen her since she left."

"I'm sure she's fine." Alicia assured me. "It's not the first time they kept her for a weekend, maybe they had to do an overnight or something."

"Yeah maybe." I said feeling disappointed. Reagan had been extremely busy after a week off and I'd been looking forward to having the weekend to spend some time with her, but when the mail arrived at the end of breakfast I realized that wasn't going to be possible.

"Who's that from?" Alicia asked as a sweet looking barn owl landed in front of me carrying a letter and a stack of papers.

"No idea." I said detaching the letter tied to it's leg and scratching it. It made a coo of appreciation, then grabbed a piece of my bacon before taking off.

I opened the letter and immediately recognized the handwriting.

"It's from Reagan." I said in surprise.

"What's she doing sending a letter?" Alicia asked in surprise and leaning over to read it. "Whatever she has to say can wait until tonight surely."

"She's not coming back tonight." I said scanning the letter feeling disappointed. "Her coach made them leave early. They're already in Germany."

"What about your project?" she asked frowning.

"That's what that is." I said tonelessly gesturing towards the stack of papers which she glanced at. "It's her half of the report. She must have done it last night."

"Well that sucks." Alicia said sympathetically. "At least you'll be able to turn it in."

"Yeah, but now I have to spend tonight working on it alone."

"You can work it with Aiden and I." she said helpfully. "We might not be your partners but we're working on the same assignment tonight. We're meeting at the library after dinner."

"No offense Lis, but I don't much feel like awkwardly sitting next to you two while you snog between sentences."

"So what are you going to do?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"Probably just-"

"Oliver, if you say practice I'm throwing a sausage at you." she said scowling. "It's freezing out and it looks like it's going to snow."

I glanced up at the ceiling to see fluffy light gray clouds that did indeed look as if they were ready to blanket the castle in snow.

"Well what else would you have me do?" I asked. "We don't have practice, you'll be busy, and Reagan's gone."

"You could go with Katie and Angelina to their charms club meeting." She suggested. "That would burn up some time."

"Yeah, I don't even read what we're supposed to for that class, I'm not going to add extra work on top of that." I said darkly and she rolled her eyes.

"Fine. Just stay in your dormitory all night and be a grouch."

"I can't do that either." I said flatly. "If I'm in the dormitory too long Percy Weasley will bore me to death with what ever long winded, opinionated rant he's come up with in the last twenty-four hours."

"So what are you going to do then?" she asked. "Just hang out in the common room by yourself?"

"I live an exciting life." I said sarcastically and she grinned.

"Alright, well if you're determined to be miserable I'm going to get going."

"Going?" I asked. It was Saturday, what could she possibly have to do?

"Yeah, it's my anniversary with Aiden." She said brightly. "He's got a whole day of activities planned out before we do our homework tonight. I'm meeting him outside the Great Hall soon."

"Alright," I said feeling disappointed, not because she was going to be with Aiden, more just the fact that it looked like I'd be spending the day on my own. "Well have fun."

"I intend to." She said happily.

She stood and I watched her go, surprised to realize I was genuinely happy for her that her relationship had lasted this long. He did seem to make her happy, but this sudden onset of contentment was quickly ruined when I spotted and abandoned copy of the _Daily Prophet_ further down the table. On the front page I saw a picture of Drake and Reagan together, apparently featured in an article about their relationship and other major stories over the passed year.

I pushed my plate away suddenly not feeling very hungry.

I decided just to go back to my dormitory and deal with Percy if I had to, but when I stepped into it I found it was empty. Slightly grateful I didn't have to deal with the rants about the ministry and Percy's future, I went to sit on my bed. I was thinking I might go over the notes I'd taken about Ravenclaw's last game when was surprised to see a small notebook sitting on my pillow with a note folded on top of it.

"What is this?" I muttered confused picking up the note and seeing it was from Reagan.

 _Hey Oliver, sorry I couldn't say goodbye. I hope you get my half of the report in time._

 _Mom (coach) has gone all crazy (what a shock) and says we need to have more_

 _Team bonding so he's locking us together for the week. Technically we're not supposed_

 _To be sending a bunch of owls and stuff, but if I have to spend a week without talking to_

 _You I'm going to lose my mind so I had Max send this to your dormitory. I have a journal_

 _Just like it, and anything you write in here will show up in mine. I figured this was the easiest_

 _Way we can stay in touch without having a ton of letters going back and forth. I would have_

 _Sent it with the report earlier but Max warned me about too many people knowing about_

 _This journal. I can't see who's on the other side and if someone stole it, and as he puts it_

 _'Some moron with a quill', might just take advantage of it to get answers out of me and_

 _use it for fifteen minutes of fame, and I have to agree with him. You can't be too careful_

 _So please don't go shouting about it. Not that I think you would, but it's probably_

 _Best if for now only we know that the journals are connected and who is on the other side._

 _~Reagan_

 _P.S. Hurry up and talk to me. After that disaster of an article I need some cheering up._

I grinned and looked at the journal for a moment, then quickly sat on my bed, pulled out the drawer in my nightstand where a quill and ink bottled were waiting. I unscrewed the cap and paused, then wrote.

' ** _You just wanted to ditch class didn't you? I bet you don't even have a game this week. Having a nice vacation?_** _'_

I paused and looked at the page as the ink dried on it, wondering what she was doing and if she would be able to respond right away. After several minutes however, the excitement I'd felt flooding through me had waned slightly. She was probably busy practicing or going over game strategy with her team. Even with the journal, I probably wouldn't hear from her a lot this week.

I was just about to close it and think of something else to do, when words scratched themselves onto the page in Reagan's handwriting.

' _Thank Houdini you finally said something. What took you so long? I've been checking this thing for hours!_ '

I grinned and quickly responded.

' ** _Aren't you busy with your team? How can you be checking it all the time?_** '

' _We're watching film, may or may not be pretending to take notes at the moment._ '

' ** _What are you doing later?_** '

She took a couple minutes to respond and I guessed she was either distracted by something interesting in the game footage or was addressed by either her coach or a team mate.

' _We're all having dinner together. Yay, I'm the only girl in a week's worth of guys nights. Jason claims he snuck alcohol so there's talk about drinking games after Mom goes to bed but I doubt it's going to get too crazy. If anyone shows up to practice hung over in the state our coach is in right now they'd certainly be benched.'_

' ** _So what I'm hearing is you're throwing a rager?_** ' I wrote and I could practically hear the sarcasm in her response.

' _Oh yeah, you know me, big party girl._ '

I felt my smile widen and quickly wrote.

' ** _It wouldn't be the first time you surprised me_**.'

I wasn't sure how long I sat in the dormitory, just writing messages back and forth with Reagan, but when she finally said they were going to their final practice of the day, I glanced at the clock and was shock to see I'd been sitting here for hours. I'd almost completely missed lunch.

After making sure the journal was tucked safely in night stand, I quickly made my way down to the great hall where I found Alicia was sitting with Katie.

"We were just wondering where you were." Katie said breaking their conversation as I dropped next to Alicia who looked at me with suspicion.

"You look happy." She accused. "What's up? I thought you were determined to sulk all day?"

I was about to explain that I'd been talking to Reagan when I hesitated.

Should I tell her?

It wasn't that I didn't trust Alicia, or Katie for that matter, but Reagan had asked me to keep the knowledge of journal between the two of us. I also knew that if Alicia found out I had a way to communicate with Reagan so quickly she'd want to use it, and as selfish as it sounded, I liked the idea of having a private line to her. What if we ended up talking about something I didn't want other people to read?

"Oliver."

I blinked and realized as I'd been thinking, both girls had been staring at me, waiting for a response.

"Just happy." I said with a shrug.

Katie seemed to accept this and continued the conversation they'd been having about some sort of charm for curling long hair, but while Alicia spoke normally, she continued to look at me every once and a while.

Part of me felt a little guilty for not telling her. She was my best friend after all, and she was close to Reagan, but it didn't last long.

'If she really wanted to talk to Reagan, she could always send her an owl.' I reasoned with myself as grabbed my plate and piled it with chicken salad.

It wasn't as if I was keeping them from speaking with each other. It wasn't my fault Reagan gave the journal to me and not her.

I tried and failed to hide a smile as the girls continued to talk. If I as honest, I liked knowing that out of anyone Reagan could have chosen to talk to in a week of restricted communication, she'd chosen me.

Rpov

If I ever had to get a roommate, I was _never_ going to live with guys.

"WAKE UP RAY!" someone shouted as the lights flickered on and I felt something hit my back.

"Go away." I groaned burying my head under my pillow and I heard a laugh that I associated with Jason.

"Aw look lads, she's sleepy."

"Leave…" I said then curled into a ball when I felt my blankets being torn off.

While the hotel we were staying at had more than enough rooms for everyone, Coach Grove had forced us to all to stay in the same suite. He had his own room, while the players doubled up. Since I was the only girl, I was lucky enough to get my own room, but that meant very little to the rest of the team. They came and went whenever they pleased, and most mornings had started like this.

"Now now little Ray." Jason said wrestling my pillow out of my grip and I glared up to see he, Larry, and Anson all smirking down at me. "No need to be cranky. It's four AM. We let you sleep in."

"You all suck."

"Sticks and stones." Larry said amused.

"Get up." Anson said. "Mum wants us all at break fast in twenty minutes."

"Why?" I asked yawning and sitting up.

"We're going on a team hike." Larry said rolling his eyes as Anson made his way out of the room. "Apparently we're spending the whole day in the woods doing team building activities."

"It's January, and we're in Germany." I said in horror. "We're going to freeze."

"Yeah, you tell him that." Jason said smirking. "'Cuz it sure as Merlin isn't going to be me."

I rubbed my eyes and looked around only to spot a familiar object resting at the foot of my bed.

"Did you throw a quaffle at me?" I asked indignantly and Jason laughed.

"Hey. When you joined the team, you said that you didn't want anyone treating you differently because you're a girl." he said following Anson out of the room.

"Welcome to the boys club." Larry said with an amused smile and making his way for the door.

"Don't waste time dolling up for the day Rayray!" Jason shouted from the common area of the suite. "We've seen you eat after practice! None of us are attracted to you!"

I rolled my eyes and started hunting for the warmest clothes I could find.

Grateful, but unsurprised Max had foreseen the need for snow boots, I quickly dressed, grabbed Jason's quaffle and after a moment's hesitation, grabbed the journal I'd been using to talk to Oliver since we'd gotten here. After I shoving the journal into my jacket pocket, I took my room key off my desk and met the rest of the team that was waiting out in the hall.

Most of them looked bleary eyed and sleepy, with the exception of Jason of course, who was less of a morning person and was just always ready for his next adventure. He tried several times to engage various people in conversations, but gave up when Dylan threatened to jinx his mouth shut. After that shuffled in silence to the lobby of the hotel where a section of it had been blocked off and filled with small tables for guests who wanted food before they left the building for the day.

"Nice of you ladies to finally show up." Coach said already half way through a plate of eggs and sausages.

"Not that anyone cares, but I still think it would be fairer if you called Reagan a gentleman." Jason said and Anson smacked him in the back of his head.

"No one does care." Coach said rolling his eyes. "And I want you all to eat a good breakfast. You're going to be gone all day."

Several people started grumbling.

"And no complaining either!" he snapped.

Apart from the team, and one sleepy looking wizard in business robes that was reading a newspaper, the breakfast room was empty. No one really talked over breakfast. It was still dark outside and I figured most everyone was just trying to stay awake, so after about five minutes I was bored.

I'd just pulled out the journal to see Oliver had written something after I'd gone to bed last night, when Jason dropped into the seat across from mine.

"What's that?" he asked with interest as I quickly closed the book and a curious glitter entered his eyes.

"Nothing."

"You know you've been writing in that thing a lot since we got here." He said with a sly smile. "What is it like your diary or something?"

"No." I said a little awkwardly, snatching it off the table as he reached for it. "It's nothing."

"If it's nothing, why can't I read it?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

"Because." I said blushing when I failed to find an excuse and his smile widened.

"You're talking to someone, aren't you?" he asked.

"No." I said too quickly and he laughed.

"You are." He said looking thoroughly entertained. "Blimey Ray, you know we're not supposed to be distracted this week. I could see the beaters trying to get around Mum's crazy rules but you…"

"Keep your voice down." I muttered looking over at Grove who'd gone to sit with Anson. It looked like they were going over plays for Friday.

"You know, I'm actually a little proud of you." he said with approval. "Who's on the other end?"

"No one." I lied.

"Is it Drake?" he asked eagerly.

"No."

"Max? I bet he'd lose his mind if he couldn't contact you for a week. I've never seen an agent so involved with his work."

"It's not Max, why are you so interested anyways? It's none of your business."

"We're cut off from society Ray." He said amused. "You're the only source of entertainment I've got. Besides, why do you care if I know? It's not like I'm going to tell anyone."

"I don't care." I said wondering if that was true.

"Then tell me."

"I don't want to talk about this." I said stubbornly. "And if you don't stop annoying me about it I'll won't pass to you at all on Friday."

"Threats Rayray? Seriously?" he asked innocently while pretending to look hurt.

I glowered at him.

"Look, we both know you're going to pass to me, but if you really don't want to tell me that's fine."

"I don't."

"Alright." He said shrugging and standing up. "But at least do me a favor will you?"

"What?" I asked hesitantly, feeling a bit uneasy as he smirked.

"Tell Oliver I say hi."

I felt myself go red, but before I could think of anything to say, Coach had stood.

"Alright team. Let's go."

I stood, pulling on my jacket and pocketing the journal again.

I thought I felt eyes on me but when I looked back, I saw no one but the business wizard who was still reading his paper.

"What's up?" Jason asked obviously catching my expression.

"Nothing." I said shaking my head but still feeling a little disconcerted. We stepped out of the hotel into the dark morning and I felt as if I'd been hit by a wall of cold. It wasn't until I saw road signs I couldn't read that I realized what had been so weird about that man. His paper hadn't been in German, it was English, a copy of the _Daily Prophet_.

'It's just a coincidence.' I thought uneasily. It was a hotel, they probably had plenty of international guests.

I wasn't sure if I really believed this, but I didn't get much time to dwell on it.

"Alright ladies." Grove started.

"And gentleman." Jason muttered stubbornly then winced as he received several blows. Anson wasn't the only one to hit him this time.

"I hope you're not tired of each other, because we'll be spending the next three days training in the woods."

"And where are we supposed to be sleeping?" Larry said raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, all our stuff is in the hotel." Dylan agreed.

"We'll be sharing a cabin located at the end of our hike. Your stuff will be there waiting for you except for floo powder and owls. No contact with the outside world."

"For everyone but you." Jason muttered nudging me with his elbows.

"Shut up." I whispered and he grinned.

"Hey, you're the rule breaker not me."

I hesitated as the others started walking, wondering if I should leave the journal back at the hotel but quickly deciding to keep it with me.

Ninety percent of the time Oliver and I were talking about quidditch anyways. It's not like I wasn't focusing on the sport.

So, feeling slightly guilty, I jogged after my team.

"Decided to keep your little notebook then?" Jason asked smirking down at me.

"Yes." I said. "And if you think about telling Mom-"

"Don't worry Ray your secret's safe with me." He said amused. "Besides Mum's not the one you need to worry about. You'd better hope that reporter doesn't figure out the lengths you've taken to keep in touch with your friend."

"What?" I asked stopping and he raised an eyebrow.

"The one in the hotel this morning, thinking he was clever hiding behind the newspaper he works for." He rolled his eyes.

"He was a reporter?" I asked now definitely alarmed. "How do you know?"

"I've interviewed with him before." He said also stopping and looking down at me. For once he wasn't grinning, he looked pretty serious.

"Why would it matter to him if I'm talking to Oliver?"

"Because I think many people would want to know why, if you were so determined to stay connected with someone while we're supposed to be disappearing into the woods together, it's not Drake." He gave me a significant look.

"I- we're friends." I said quickly.

"Hey, I'm not the one you have to convince." He said raising his hands in an appeasing gesture. "It's just something you should think about. I know you like your privacy, but I guarantee you that story would hit the front page."

I felt my stomach shrink, but before I could think of anything to say to this, Coach had shouted at us.

"Are you two princesses coming, or are you waiting for Prince Charming to sweep you off your feet? Get a move on!"

"Classic Mum." Jason said rolling his eyes and starting to walk after the team that had made it half way down the street already. "Let's go."

I followed him feeling conflicted.

I hadn't really thought what other people would think of it when I asked Max to set up a way for me to talk to Oliver while I was abroad, but now that I did, I was starting to wonder if it was a mistake. I guess now that I thought about it, I probably should have asked to talk to Drake, but I wasn't exactly happy with him right now and if I was honest, it was far easier to talk to Oliver than it was to talk to Drake.

"Just be careful what you do Ray." Jason muttered as we caught up to the rest of the team. "In my experience, if you feel the need to hide something, it makes it a hundred times worse when the press inevitably finds out."

"Who says they'll find out?" I asked and he let out a slightly bitter laugh.

"They always find out."


	20. Chapter 20

Ok i know it's been forever since I've updated this story and I'm sorry! I got hit with a huge case of writers block with this story and I'm just now getting over it. So if anyone is still reading, I apologize. Hope you like the new chapter.

~secrethalfblood

Opov

I didn't see Reagan until the weekend and when she came back she seemed exhausted. They'd won their game but she was suffering from something she called 'jetlag' which I thought had something to do with the time differences between the two countries. This meant she was up even earlier than usual and I found her waiting for me at the pitch for our usual practice before school.

"And Alicia thinks I wake up early." I muttered yawning and she smiled at me.

"Sorry." She said apologetically. "I'm still on Germany time. You ready?"

It was freezing outside and the sun had just barely risen, but I wasn't complaining. The was the only guaranteed time I had alone with Reagan these days and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

"Yeah." I said with a nod and mounting my broom. "What do you want to work on today? Left handed shots? Breakaways? Bludger avoidance?"

She hesitated for a moment and I noticed she was rotating her shoulder in a therapeutic manner.

"Injury?" I asked and she seemed to be brought back to the present.

"What? Oh." She nodded. "Yeah, just a little sore from our last practice. Mom made me do extra circuits."

"Why?" I asked and she smiled a little mischievously.

"During the game I did a maneuver we're not really supposed to do. He got mad cuz it's supposedly 'too dangerous' so that was my punishment. I don't know what he's complaining about. I scored because of it."

"Yeah I heard, in the match commentary." I said grinning remembering sitting with Alicia and a few of the others from the team, listening to the game over the radio. "The Gryphon Claw maneuver. Aren't they thinking about banning it from the game?"

It was an extremely difficult move that combined a curved dive and rolling so the other team couldn't get the ball. Many players had tried it and fallen off their brooms resulting in serious injuries, but they weren't Reagan.

"Yes," she admitted looking slightly amused. "But they haven't banned it yet."

"Well if you're too sore to play, do you want to just fly?" I asked and she considered this for a moment then smiled.

"Sure."

We took to the sky talking about random things while flying over the grounds and watching the sky change color as the sun continued to rise.

"So when's the next time you have to leave for a game?" I asked her as we hovered over the pitch toss the quaffle to each other for something to do more than anything. It was almost time to head up for breakfast.

"Not for a while." She admitted tucking the ball under her arm. "I think the next few games are home games. I've got a few preliminary trials for a couple league teams but those are just practices with the team to see how I fit in with them and if they'd want me in the off season after the World Cup."

"So you'll be here for a while." I said happily.

"Yeah." She agreed. "Well until my game in the U.S."

"That's right." I said feeling my eyes go wide and looking at her with interest. "That's in a few weeks. How you feeling about that? Still don't think it's going to be awkward?"

"We're all adults." She said shrugging. "I've had to play against them in the national league before. I'm sure the sports magazines are going to have a field day calling me a traitor back home, but I'm not really that worried about it."

"It doesn't bother you?" I asked.

"They're going to print what sells." She said with a sigh. "Nothing I can do about it. An impassioned rant against me would be a much better angle than a friendly article saying there were no hard feelings."

"That's not an answer." I pointed out.

"Ok fine." She said looking a little dejected. "I'm a little nervous about it. Not all my fans were that understanding that I left, and I hate knowing that I let them down."

"But it was the better team for you to be on." I said frowning. "Surely they understand that."

"You think that matters to them?" she asked raising an eyebrow. "Something tells me when I go back to America, it won't be to a warm welcome."

She hesitated then asked.

"Do you and Alicia want to go with me?"

"What?" I asked astonished and she blushed slightly.

"It's just. The game is on a weekend. You wouldn't miss any school."

"You want us to go to America with you?" I asked astounded.

"I know it's a lot to ask you to cross the Atlantic." She said quickly looking even more embarrassed. "But you wouldn't have to pay for anything. I could cover everything, even where you guys would stay. I just, it would make me feel a lot better knowing I had a couple of friendly faces in the stands."

"Blimey Ray, don't look so nervous." I said laughing. "I'd love to go with you. Merlin, Alicia's going to be so excited. She's been wanting to go back to the U.S. since she went with her parent's years ago."

"Great." She said looking much happier. "I'll have Max arrange everything."

We flew back to the changing rooms and walked back up to the Breakfast where not much out of the ordinary happened until I saw a barn owl land in front of Reagan, who looked just as shocked as I felt to see her getting mail from the unfamiliar owl.

"Who's that from?" Alicia asked sitting across the table from her and next to me.

"Drake." She said in surprise and I felt a twinge of disappointment go through me.

"What does he want?" I asked a little aggressively.

Alicia shot me a warning look but Reagan didn't seem to notice.

"He's asking when the next Hogsmead weekend is." She said sounding a little shocked. "He says he wants to come and visit."

"And what do you want?" Alicia asked with a knowing voice.

"I dunno." She said frowning. "I mean, it might have been fun before but after what happened with that article…"

Her voice trailed off but Alicia was relentless in her interrogation.

"You're not sure how you feel about him now?" she questioned.

Reagan nodded and I felt a surge of hope go through me while Alicia gave me a significant look that once again, Reagan missed. Was it possible I might have a chance after all?

Rpov

There was something mechanical about doing drills.

I dodged the bludgers and ducked under Larry. I tossed Jason the quaffle, caught his pass back, pulled back my arm.

"CLANG!"

A tone rang through out the practice field and I high fived Jason as we laughed and Larry flew back into a defensive position.

"Williams! Styles!"

We looked down to see Coach Grove staring up at us looking irate.

"Yes Mum?" Jason asked amusing leaning on his broom as we hovered fifty feet in the air above him.

"Get down here!"

"What's this about?" I asked Jason who was frowning slightly.

"I dunno." He said with a shrug. "But I'm going to blame you."

"Fair enough." I said and we streaked towards the ground where we were face to face with the angry man.

"Well I hope you two little pixies are pleased with yourselves." He said glaring at us his face redder than I'd ever seen it. "You princesses are being fined! And they're talking about a suspension too."

"For what?" Jason asked angrily while I felt my eyes going wide.

"You for excessive celebration." He said glaring at Jason who winced. "And you." He said turning towards me. "For reckless self endangerment. That stunt you pulled in our last game had the international board thinking you were trying to make yourself into a princess pancake. What did I tell you about doing those dangerous maneuvers!"

"But I'm fine!" I protested. "I've never crashed!"

"That's what I told them!" he said angrily. "But they're still talking about suspending you."

"Why?" I asked furiously. I was so angry I'd almost shouted.

"They don't want to encourage players who _will_ crash to try and do what you do." He said bitterly. "They're afraid the injury rates are going to go up."

"But that's quidditch!" I said in frustration. "We're professionals, they all know the risks."

"It doesn't matter." He said shaking his head. "Look our team has got a lot of heat on it right now which is why I'm thinking about pulling one of you for the next game."

"What?" I asked while Jason shouted. "You can't do that!"

"What's going on?" Larry, who had landed to see what all the noise was about, asked looking concerned. Anson was flying our direction too.

"Mum's thinking about benching either Reagan or I." Jason explained incensed at this injustice.

"Right when we were just getting to really connect well." I said bitterly and Larry turned to Coach.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because they're big names and the board wants to make an example out of them." He said suddenly sounding tired. "They're already threatening a suspension and I'd rather have one of them miss one game than both of them miss several."

"So they're punishing us for no reason?" I asked indignantly while Jason's jaw set.

"They have a reason." Coach said not meeting my eyes. "They're just punishing to the fullest extent because you two are so well known. You know what it's been like lately, players mouthing off to refs, ignoring fines, breaking rules. They want to prove to the league that they're still in control by making a statement with you two."

"But that's not fair!" I said irately.

"I know it's not, but if they suspend you…" he said and I realized that he didn't like it anymore than we did. He was stuck between a hard place and a rock and because he was the coach he had to make this nasty call. "Which is why you'll be out for the next game Reagan." He said and I went cold.

"What?" Larry said his eyes going wide as Anson touched down and said. "But coach-"

"Not buts." He said shaking his head. "You're the biggest name we have right now, and unlike Styles who is likely only to be fined for his offense, you could be suspended up to five games. You're our top scorer we can't risk losing you for that long."

"So you're punishing her for being good at her job?" Jason snarled.

"I'm trying to keep her out of trouble!" Coach shouted back. "And you watch your tone with me Styles. I'm not your mother or your damn fairy god mother and I will bench you even if it means losing the next three games if you give me any more attitude." He turned back to me. "I'm sorry Reagan." He said shaking his head. "but this decision is final."

"This is bollocks!" Jason throwing down the quaffle he'd been holding and storming off to the changing room.

"Coach," Anson said his tone calm while Larry put a hand on my shoulder. "Isn't there some other way."

"You heard what I said Sound." He said squaring his shoulders. "You're more than welcome to sit with the team for the next game-" but I tuned him out seeing his mouth move but hearing no words, barely registering the looks of comfort Larry and Anson were trying to give me.

I was benched…

I'd never not played a game before, even as a substitute I'd always got to at least play some.

I looked up to see Coach walking away back towards the beaters and Justin who were all looking at us from the other side of the field clearly wondering what was going on.

"I'll see you guys later." I said brushing Larry's hand off my shoulder and walking dejectedly back to the changing room where I heard shouting.

"IT'S NOT FAIR! IT'S SO STUPID! THESE BOARD MEMBERS THINK THEY CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WANT AND NO ONE CAN DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!"

I pushed open the door to see Jason, half dressed venting to a familiar figure that had flowers in his hand clearly meaning to surprise me when he'd run into Jason.

"Drake?" I asked and both boys looked at me.

"Hey." He said as Jason muttered a hasty goodbye and, after pulling on his street clothes, grabbed his things and stalked out of the changing room, obviously still upset but not wanting to ruin the moment more than he already had.

"What are you doing here?" I asked opening my locker and pulling off my gloves after accepting the bouquet of lilies he'd brought for me.

"I was hoping you might want to go out tonight." He said a little disappointedly. "But I've just been informed that you're having a bad day."

"I got benched." I said bitterly.

"It wasn't your fault." He said softly.

"That doesn't change anything." I said turning away from him. I knew he was trying to make me feel better, but he didn't understand. "It doesn't matter who's fault it was. I still don't get to play."

"I'm sure you'll be able to play the next game." He assured me but it didn't make me feel better. If anything I felt worse. "Try not to think about it."

"Try not to think about it?" I asked turning to look at him. "Drake. Quidditch is what I live for. That's like someone telling you you can't perform because someone else doesn't want you to. Just because they want to send a message to all other singers."

"Yeah I know." He said quietly putting a hand on my shoulder. "I wouldn't like it either."

He hesitated before asking.

"So, you don't think a night out might make you forget about it for awhile?"

"I don't think I'm up for going out tonight." I said quietly.

"Alright." He said quietly. "Maybe next time."

"Yeah. Maybe."

He looked disappointed but didn't protest as I grabbed my things and walked out of the locker room to find Max and take my portkey back to Hogwarts. He just watched me go and I felt a little guilty. I probably should have said something more to him, it was the first time we'd seen each other since before Christmas and he'd brought me flowers but I couldn't bring myself to be too worried about it. I was still too upset.

Max was as well.

"Barring you from playing just because you're more talented than half the league well we'll see about that." He said quickly handing me the broken Walkman that would take me back to Hogwarts when I ran into him in the hall. "I'm going to send a few owls, I know some people that might make this go away. I can't believe he benched you instead of Styles."

"Jason is the captain." I said automatically. "He's got seniority of course they're going to bench the new player."

"Well I don't like it." He said bitterly. "This never would have happened to you in the States. You're coach should never have let this happen, he should be fired for caving so easily to the board."

"Just let it go Max." I said with a tired sigh. "There's nothing we can do about it."

"Well we'll see." He repeated crossing his arms over his chest, his eyes flashing. "You just go back to school and get some rest Ray. You've got a Charms quiz tomorrow, but I'll make this go away."

"Alright." I said watching dully as the Walkman glowed blue and I felt something jerk behind my stomach. The next thing I knew I was standing out side the portrait of the Sir Codogan, who'd temporarily replaced the fat lady, alone.

"Hollyfin." I said and he swung forward.

As usual, the common room was empty when I came back from a late practice. I knew I should have done some homework before I went to sleep but I just couldn't find the motivation to do anything right now.

I had just decided to wake up early and do it when a voice said.

"You ok?"

I looked up to see Oliver sitting on the couch by the fire next to a mound of candies.

"What-"

"I heard they're not playing you in the next game." He said gesturing towards and ancient radio and I knew he must have been listening to one of the quidditch news shows. Coach must have announced it right before practice…

"Should have guessed you'd find out." I said dully flopping on to the couch next to him.

"I thought you might want snacks." He said gesturing towards the pile.

"Thanks." I said gratefully.

"It's ridiculous." He said handing me a cauldron cake which I bit into moodily. "You've never hurt yourself, or anyone. Well that didn't have the quaffle. Yes the plays are dangerous, but not when you do them."

"They know that." I said bitterly. "They just don't want other people doing them."

"How much are they fining you?"

"A thousand galleons." I said bitterly. Max had told me when I first saw him after training.

Oliver gagged on the chocolate frog he was eating but I ignored this. I didn't care about the money. I'd have paid ten thousand just to be able to play.

"That's a massive fine." He said his eyes going wide.

"Yeah well they want to stop me from doing it again." I said tersely.

"Are you going to?"

I looked at him.

"I guess I should know better than to ask." He said with a slight grin. "You're never going to stop are you?"

"Until the day I can no longer hold a broom in my hand, I will always play to the best of my ability. It's the only way I know how."

He chuckled.

"You know what Ray." He said sliding an arm around my shoulder.

"What?" I asked accepting the chocolate frog he offered and watching as he bit into one as well.

"You're really something else."

I smiled and leaned my head against his shoulder and closed my eyes.

I wasn't going to lie to myself and pretend everything was alright. It wasn't alright. It was very far from alright, but it meant a lot to me that Oliver had stayed awake just to comfort me. He understood how hard this would be for me, he got that quidditch wasn't just a game.

"Thanks Oliver." I said quietly.

"Of course Ray."


	21. Chapter 21

Opov

Reagan perked up over the next couple of days and while she was still upset about being benched, it didn't dampen her excitement for out match against Ravenclaw and was one of the loudest to cheer at the end of the game.

"I can't believe it!" she said tackling Alicia and I into a hug as we made it into the common room with the rest of the team. "We won!"

I laughed and hugged her close, pretending it was the excitement after the match that made my stomach clench and my heart rate increase.

"We have a real shot at winning the cup now!" Alicia said happily and together, arm and arm they walked to the drinks table discussing strategies that would be most useful for beating Slytherin.

I followed, grinning, thoroughly enjoying the image of two pretty girls talking about quidditch tactics and grabbing a cauldron cake from the pile of food that Fred and George had managed to sneak into the common room.

We'd just sat down by the fire when a voice said.

"Mind if I steal Alicia away?"

I looked up just in time to hear Alicia shriek.

"AIDEN!" she practically bounced out of her seat and into her boyfriend's arms, but for the first time I felt no resentment. "How did you get in here?"

Aiden, who was a Ravenclaw, shouldn't have been able to get passed the portrait hole.

"One of your team mates let me in. That new portait you have is mad." he said then looked around the room. "This is quite a party you've got going on." He looked at me. "Good game Oliver. As much as it pains me to admit it. You lot won fair and square."

"Thank you." I said and again I was surprised that when I smiled it wasn't forced. I genuinely had no issue with him being here.

"Let's get a drink." Alicia said brightly. "You guys want anything?"

"I'll take one." Reagan said.

"Me too."

"We'll be right back." She said happily taking Aiden's hand and I looked at Reagan who was watching the two walk away with an unreadable expression.

"What's on your mind?" I asked and she blinked then looked back at me.

"What? Oh nothing." She said and though I didn't quite believe her I let it go. "You played really well today."

"Thanks." I said grinning and feeling my heart skip a beat. "I would have been a different story if you were on the other team."

"I dunno." She debated playfully. "You made some pretty spectacular saves."

"You're being modest." I accused.

"So are you."

"So." Alicia said bringing back the drinks with Aiden and looking at us happily as they sat down. "How many points would we have to win by to win the cup."

"More than two hundred." Reagan and I said in unison and she grinned at us.

"Alicia is right." Aiden said looking a little amused as he handed me a butterbeer. "It really is like you two share the same brain."

"You should see them when they really get going." Alicia said with a laugh. "It's like they don't need to talk and when they do they're constantly finishing each other's sentences. It's adorable."

I threw Alicia a look but was surprised when Reagan blushed.

Alicia gave me a knowing smile.

We continued to talk about quidditch for the rest of the night until McGonagall came up to the common room and told us it was time to go to bed.

Alicia said good night to Aiden then decided to get some sleep but Reagan and I remained in the common room after the party had disbanded.

"How you feeling?" I asked her eventually when it was just the two of us sitting by the fire.

"Great." She said with a smile. "We won."

"I mean about last night." I said and her smile faded.

Yesterday had been their match against Nigeria which she'd been forced to sit out. They'd lost by 30 points, even with Lang catching the snitch.

"Oh," she said frowning. "That."

I nodded and she sighed.

"I'm frustrated." She said angrily. "I shouldn't have been benched and everyone knows it. Even when we were losing he didn't sub me in and even though there was nothing I could do," she hesitated. "I feel like I let everyone down."

"Your coach let people down, not you." I said and her eyes met mine, they were glittering, reflecting the fire in the low light. It was much darker now that almost everyone had gone to bed, but I could still see her quite clearly. "He was the one who caved to the pressure of the board members."

"I know but I was brought on to help win games."

"Not watch them." I said and she nodded.

"Yeah it's not fair." I agreed. "They are going to let you play in the next one, right?"

She nodded but her mood didn't improve and I was starting to wish I hadn't brought this up.

"What does Drake say about all this?"

"He says it sucks." She said with a shrug. "But I don't think he really gets it." She smiled slightly for a second but it was a little bittersweet. "Sometimes I think he doesn't really get me."

"In what way?" I asked feeling a spark of hope flit through me that I tried to ignore.

"Just some of the things he says. It feels as if he's a little too perfect you know? Like he tries really hard to be Drake Dennings, every girl's dream guy."

"Isn't he?"

"Yeah I guess." She muttered with a shrug, but continued when she saw my curious expression. "Don't get me wrong." She said quickly. "He's great it's just, I think he needs to be Drake Dennings the superstar you know? As much as he says he doesn't like all the attention, I don't think he knows how to be anything else. And whenever we're together I feel like Reagan Williams."

"Not just Reagan?" I asked and she nodded.

"Yeah. I think when I date someone, I want to be just Reagan to them. Nothing else."

"That must be very hard for you." I said frowning. "Trying to keep your two lives separate."

"Drake says it's easier for me because I don't let people in. I don't trust them."

"I never got that impression." I said honestly.

"Yeah well I trust you." She said quietly looking into the flames and I felt my heart skip a beat again.

"It just sucks." She continued and I looked up at her. She was still staring into the fire and I saw a frown cross her features. "How am I supposed to find someone who likes just Reagan when when I step out into the world, the quidditch player is all anyone ever sees, all they ever want me to be? And even if I found that person." She continued with a sigh. "How could I ask them to deal with the craziness of my life?"

"If they're worth it, you won't have to ask." I said. It was strange giving relationship advice to the girl I fancied, especially when all I wanted to say was that I couldn't stand the thought of her with someone like Drake and that I wanted her to be with me, but she looked so miserable and confused I didn't want to push her any farther. "If they truly love you, they'll be there when you need them no matter what craziness they have to deal with. You're worth it."

She looked at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing." She said shaking hear head again and avoiding my gaze.

"What is it?" I asked not sure if I wanted to hear the answer.

"It's just." She said with a slight laugh. "I don't think I'll ever meet anyone who puts up with more than you."

My heart started to pound as she continued.

"I mean, that night Alicia dragged us to 'the club' and you had to deal with the paparazzi and all the times I've nearly disfigured you when we've practiced spells on each other. You were even there when I woke up in the hospital wing when I should have been the one to comfort you for Gryffindor's loss."

She didn't really end this thought so much as let it hang between us and I wasn't sure how I should respond.

"Well I'm your friend." I said awkwardly.

"Yeah." She said but for some reason she seemed disappointed.

This confused me.

"You alright?" I asked her.

"Yeah." She said but she didn't look it. "I'm just tired. I think I'm going to go up to bed."

"Oh, alright." I said disappointed.

"I'll see you tomorrow." She said not looking at me as she headed up to the girl's dormitory.

I watched her go feeling uncertain and a sense of loss.

I could hear Alicia's voice in my head now telling me I was an idiot and that I should have told her how I felt, but the fact of the matter was she still had a boyfriend no matter what she was feeling about him at the time, and the odds were that she didn't feel the same way. So, with a sigh, I stood up and walked to the boys dormitory wondering if the moment would ever be right, and if I'd ever be able to tell a girl I fancied how I felt.

'But you don't just fancy her, do you?' said a voice that sounded strangely like Cassie in the back of my mind. 'You fancied Alicia for years, you even thought you loved her, but it never felt like this.'

This was true. Nobody, not even passed girlfriend or even Alicia had even come close to taking over my mind like Reagan had. I'd never wanted to desperately to be around someone, or to even just talk to them all the time. I thought about her even when she wasn't there and every time she was, well, I never wanted to say good bye. No I'd never felt this way about any other girl.

Was it love?

I pondered this question as I changed and got ready for bed, and as I laid down random thoughts chased back and forth in my mind as I was unable to sleep but also not fully awake.

I stayed in this semi conscious state, still thinking about Reagan, until shouts rang from the common room and all of the boys in my dormitory jumped out of bed and went down to investigate the noise.

"What's going on?" I asked Alicia having found her first and spotting professor McGonagall talking to a young redheaded boy who I knew to be the twins' brother Ron.

"Sirius Black!" She said her eyes wide and terrified. "He got into the Gryffindor Tower! He nearly attacked Fred and George's little brother with a knife!"

"Where's Reagan?" I asked feeling my eyes go wide.

"I don't know." She said sounding worried as we scanned the crowd and panic creeped through me. "I was asleep before she came up and she wasn't in her bed when I woke up. But several of the girls came down before I did."

I tuned her out and pushed my way through several people searching frantically but I couldn't' find her.

"Reagan!" I shouted eventually, before the panic I was feeling in her absence overwhelmed me.

"Oliver!" she responded from near one of the windows and I turned to see her waving. "Over here!"

I made my way towards her and pulled her into a tight hug, just now realizing the grip my anxiety had me in as it loosened. I felt like I could breathe properly again.

"Are you alright?" I asked letting her go and she nodded looking up at me.

"Yeah. He was in the boy's dormitory, I was worried about you."

She was staring up at me with wide eyes filled with the same relief and concern I was experiencing. I hugged her again, wrapping my arms around her tightly.

"I'm glad you're ok." She said quietly.

"Yeah." I said softly while closing my eyes. "You too."

Holding her like this gave me the clarity that logic and reason just couldn't. It didn't matter if she was a quidditch star, it didn't matter if she was dating one of the most famous singers in the world, I couldn't deny my feelings for her any longer.

I thought I'd understood it when I fancied Alicia, but nothing I'd ever felt had been this strong and letting go of Reagan was one of the hardest things and watching her walk away without telling her was one of the hardest things I'd ever had to do.

This was love.

Rpov

There was no denying it. After I thought something might have happened to Oliver I couldn't pretend that I could get over my feelings for him. I spent the next couple of days trying to figure out what I should do, but in the end it all lead to the same thing. If I felt this way about Oliver, it really wasn't fair to Drake to keep dating him.

"Hey." He said meeting me at the muggle coffee shop that was down the street from my apartment. I'd asked him to meet me here after practice last night.

"Hey." I said and immediately felt guilt burn through me as he pulled me into a hug. This wasn't going to be easy.

"You know I have to say I'm a little surprised you asked me here." He said sitting across the table from me and smiling. "I thought you were a little annoyed with me after you were almost suspended."

"We need to talk." I said and he grinned.

"Sounds serious." He said in a joking tone, but when I didn't smile back his faltered. "Oh," he said matter of factly. "I guess it is."

"Look." I said looking at my hands which was holding on to my mug of coffee. "I've really enjoyed out time together, and you've been really great to me, which is why I feel I owe it to you to be honest."

"About what?" he asked and while he didn't look angry, his eyebrow raised.

"I don't think this is going to work out." I said after a deep breath and looked at him.

"I had a feeling you were going to say that." He said with a slightly bitter smile.

"You didn't do anything." I said quickly determined to tell him the real reason. "It's just-"

"It's just you don't like me as much as you should." He said with a knowing tone. "And you're a decent enough person to end it before I get hurt."

I looked at him uncertain how to feel. It was like the one time he understood me was when I was breaking up with him.

"Well I can't say I'm surprised." He said shaking his head, again with that bitter smile. "It's a shame because I really do like you Reagan. But maybe in the same way that you like me. Just not quite enough."

"So you're ok with this?" I asked him.

"Yeah." He said. "I'd even say we just might be able to remain friends."

I smiled and he smiled back, a real one this time.

"I do have one question though." He said suddenly.

"What is it?"

"Is it that Oliver bloke?" he asked. "You know, the person who made you realize you didn't like me enough."

"How did you-" I started but he shook his head and cut me off.

"I could see it from the very first time I saw you two together." He said with a sigh. "You two just get on."

"Yeah." I said looking at my hands again.

"Should have known." He said but he didn't sound upset. "You're too nice of a girl to want to be with the pop star and you're too in love with quidditch not to end up with a player."

"What about you?" I asked looking up at him. "Did you meet anyone?"

"No." he said honestly but then gave me an arrogant smirk. "but that doesn't mean I won't."

He stood up.

"Well," he said. "Now that we've broken up, I guess my business is done here."

"I'll see you around?" I asked him.

"Well considering we've both got to keep an eye on Jason I figure it's unavoidable." He said and I laughed. "Plus, Spellbound is having that album release party next month if you're still interested in coming."

"I'm still invited to that?" I asked.

"Well you won't be my date." He said with a half smile. "but who knows. Maybe you can bring Oliver along."

"I doubt it." I said my smile fading. "No matter how I may feel about him, he's still in love with someone else."

"Are you sure?" he asked frowning and I looked at him in surprise.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." He said shaking his head. "Well, either way, yes you're still invited and feel free to bring any date you want. Including that pretty blonde girl who was with us at 'the club'."

"She has a boyfriend." I pointed out.

"You do remember who I am, don't you?" He said with a chuckle and I rolled my eyes. "I'll see you around Ray."

"Yeah. I'll see you."

I watched him walk out of the shop, then paid for my coffee and followed him out onto the busy muggle street. There were no paparazzi here, which was why I chose to do it in a muggle location, and I walked back to my apartment only to find that I wasn't alone.

"So." Max said from the table as he went through a stack of papers and sparing me a glance of interest. "How'd it go?"

"It went fine. What are you doing here?"

"I have some paper work you need to sign."

"What is it?" I asked as he handed me several highlighted sheets with many initial and signature lines.

"Just usual contractual obligation stuff. This allows you to be an official member of England's world cup team."

"Alright." I said taking the quill he handed me and starting to sign the papers as I sat.

He talked to me about travel dates and game times but I found for once I wasn't very interested in what my schedule was for quidditch. All I could think about was getting a port key back to Hogwarts.

"You alright?" he asked me after about ten minutes when I'd quilled my last signature and looked up.

"Yeah." I said uncertain as to why I felt so off.

"Not having second thoughts about Drake are you?"

"No." I said shaking my head.

"Then what's the matter with you?" he asked curiously. "You seem a million miles away."

"Just tired from practice." I said evasively not meeting his eye.

"Yeah I've heard that one before." He said with a knowing tone. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know." I said honestly putting down the quill.

I wasn't sure why I was so bummed. All I knew was that breaking up with Drake had sort of made it official. I liked Oliver, and since he was in love with Alicia, there was nothing I could do about it.

"Is it that keeper boy?" he asked and I shrugged. I didn't much feel like talking about Oliver right now, not even to Max.

"Well I can see that you're just in no mood to talk." He said gathering the papers and giving me a critical look. "But I think you should tell him how you feel."

"He likes Alicia." I said dejectedly. "He's liked her for years. That's not changing," I said quietly. "Not for me."

"You never know."

"Can we just talk about something else?" I asked frowning. "Where's my portkey? Shouldn't it be leaving soon?"

"It's the broken stapler on the bar." He said nodding towards the kitchen where I spotted the twisted plastic object. "It leaves in a few minutes if you want to take it."

I nodded and walked over to the counter, grabbing the stapler and bringing it back to he table.

"When will I see you next?" I asked sitting down again.

"Well if everything goes according to plan, I'll see you at your interview with the 'Prophet'."

"Why am I interviewing with them?" I asked.

"Well now that you've broken up with Drake, you're going to have to give them something."

I nodded, not exactly happy about this but knowing better by now than to complain. Of course everyone would want to know what had happened, even though my love like was none of their damn business.

"What should I tell them?" I asked.

"That's up to you." He said with a shrug.

"Since when?" I asked my eyes narrowing. Max had always told me what to say during interviews.

"Since I believe you should tell the truth." He said crossing his arms over his chest and giving me a pointed look. "But you seem determined not to do it."

"It wouldn't do me any good." I said quietly. "He's in love with someone else."

Max didn't get to respond. Just as I'd spoken, the stapler had started to go blue. I touched my finger to it and after a jerk in my stomach, I found myself standing in the Gryffindor common room.

"You're back late." I turned to see Oliver and Alicia sitting at one of the tables working on home work. "Practice run late?"

It was Alicia who'd spoken, but when I answered I was looking at Oliver.

"Uh yeah." I lied.

"You want to finish your herbology essay with us?" Oliver asked and I looked away.

"No, I'm actually pretty tired." I said avoiding both of their gaze. "I think I'm going to go to bed."

"Oh, alright." Alicia said with a shrug but I could feel Oliver's eyes on me as I walked up to the girls dormitory.

'You're being a coward.' A small voice in the pack of my head said.

I didn't know why I didn't tell them about Drake, maybe I just figured it wasn't time. But all I knew was that I just didn't want to talk about it right now.


	22. Chapter 22

Opov

On Thursday, I walked down to breakfast on my own. Usually I walked with Reagan, but she had a morning practice which was probably a good thing considering what had happened the second I stepped into the Great Hall.

"Oliver!" Alicia shouted, waving madly to get my attention from the Gryffindor table and I made a b line for her.

I noticed several people were reading the morning paper, more than usual. There also seemed to be a lot more chatter this morning as well. People were talking enthusiastically to their friends, running up and down their tables, even between the house tables. Everyone seemed to be excited about something.

"What's up?" I asked Alicia sitting across from her.

"This!" she said shoving the morning 'Prophet' at me. "Open it to page seven."

After giving her a strange look. I opened the paper to the suggested page and saw a bold head lined title

DENNINGS AND WILLIAMS DONE

"What is this?" I asked scanning the article and seeing a bunch of photos of Reagan and Drake edited so that there was a tear between them.

"Reagan and Drake broke up." She said her eyes wide. "It must have been after her practice the other night."

"That's why she's been acting so weird." I said realization dawning on me.

Over the passed couple of days, Reagan had been a little distant. She'd definitely been less talkative and she seemed lost in her thoughts more than usual.

"Is that why everyone's going crazy?" I asked looking around at the the students in the hall.

"Yeah. You realize why right?" she said and I had to admit I was stymied.

"No."

"Because there's a Hogsmead weekend coming up." She continued as if this were obvious. "Every guy is going to want to ask her to go with him."

"You don't think she'd say yes do you?" I asked anxiously and she shrugged.

"I dunno. But if I were you I'd ask her."

"This close after a break up?" I asked.

"What choice do you have? If you don't ask her, someone else will."

I glanced around at the hall again, which suddenly seemed crowded with eligible boys waiting to swoop in on Reagan the moment she stepped through the hall.

"We don't even know if this is true yet." I said stalling for time.

"Why would they print it if it wasn't?" she asked.

"It's the 'Prophet'." I pointed out. "Why do they print half the things they print even if it's not true. To sell. How many times has Reagan told us the newspapers printed things about her that wasn't true."

"Yeah, you've got a point. But still," She said frowning. "I'll bet anything it is. And if it is, you need to get a move on and ask her."

"But if she just broke up with him…" I started but she cut me off.

"I know it's no ideal," she said across my unfinished sentence. "But like I said, you don't have much choice."

"What's not ideal?" a familiar voice questioned and we both jumped to see Reagan standing right behind me.

"Nothing." We said so quickly she narrowed her eyes at us.

"What are you two talking about?" she asked suspiciously.

"Nothing." We repeated and she frowned.

"So obviously it was me." She said taking a seat then spotting the paper. "I guess the niffler's out of the bag then." She said picking it up and looking at the article.

"Why didn't you tell us you and Drake broke up?" Alicia asked Reagan, who'd already helped herself to several pieces of bacon.

"Didn't feel like talking about it." She said shrugging. "It wasn't a big deal really. It was mutual."

"But we're your friends." Alicia continued looking hurt.

"I know." said Reagan defensively and looking down. "It's just something I really didn't want to talk about. I would have told you eventually but," she shrugged. "I guess the 'Prophet' got to it first."

So it was true…

"What happened?" I asked taking one of her bacon strips.

"We just agreed we didn't like each other as much as we should for it to continue." She said with a shrug. "Figured we shouldn't waste each other's time."

"So it ended well?" Alicia asked.

"Yeah." She said with a nod.

"That's good." I said feeling a slight increase in my heart rate as my hand accidentally brushed hers as we both reached for the orange juice.

"So have you got any plans next Hogsmead weekend?" Alicia asked giving me a pointed look.

"Just a practice that Sunday night, why?"

"No reason." She said but kicked me under the table.

"Ow." I muttered but when Reagan gave me a questioning look I asked. "Fancy coming into Hogsmead with me?"

"Sure." She said looking happier than she had in days then turning to Alicia. "Are you coming as well?"

"Nope." She said quickly obviously trying to hide a smile that Reagan seemed to miss. "I'm going with Aiden. It will be just the two of you. It'll be just like a date."

Reagan went scarlet and I threw Alicia an irritated look that she ignored.

"So what do you think you'll do?" she asked curiously but before either of us could answer a blonde, good looking boy had crossed the hall from the Hufflepuff table and stopped behind Reagan.

Several people were looking at us, and I had a nasty feeling I knew why.

"Hey Reagan," he said confidently and she turned to look at him. "I was wondering if I could talk to you for a moment."

"Sure." She said turning around in her seat and smiling up at him.

Alicia raised her eyebrows at me and gave me an expression that seemed to say 'I told you so'.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go to Hogsmead with me on the next trip." He said and her eyes went wide.

"Oh." She said looking embarrassed and gesturing towards me. "No, I'm sorry. I already agreed to go with Oliver."

"Oh, alright." He said looking disappointed and walked back to his friends who all gathered around him quickly for news.

"That was weird." Reagan said turning back to her breakfast and looking at us.

"Something tells me he's not the last one that's going to ask." Alicia muttered and she was right.

As the day passed, no less than seven boys asked Reagan to Hogsmead. I was sure it would have been more except for the fact that the news Reagan and I were going together seemed to be spreading like wild fire.

"I don't know why it's such a big deal." She said fretfully as she, Alicia, and I walked back to the common room after transfigurations. People kept turning towards us and whispering. A couple of Ravenclaws in our year actually pointed at me and giggled.

"You're a rich, famous quidditch player who's just had the end of her relationship splashed across the media." Alicia said frowning. "Of course everyone's interested in you. You're the hot ticket right now."

"Well I'll be glad when all this is over." She said sourly as we passed the security trolls that were now guarding the Fat Lady who'd been restored to her rightful place as guardian of the Gryffindor tower. "At any rate, I'm glad you and I made plans Oliver. It gives me an excuse to say no."

"But that's not the only reason right?" Alicia asked after she'd given the password and we'd stepped through the portrait hole.

"No of course not." Reagan said her eyes going wide as we stopped just inside the common room and faced each other to continue our conversation. "I'm looking forwards to seeing the village. It's just nice to be going with someone I know I'll have a good time with."

I couldn't help myself, I smiled.

"So are you guys ready for this weekend?" she asked and a jolt went through me when I realized that on Saturday was her game in the States and we'd be going with her.

"Of course." Alicia said happily practically bouncing with excitement. "I've been packed since yesterday."

Reagan laughed and I grinned.

"I'm excited too but I'm not packed."

"Well you should get started." Alicia said her eyes going wide. "We leave tomorrow afternoon."

"We'll be gone for two days." I asked her raising an eyebrow. "How much time do you need to pack for a weekend?"

"A weekend full of meeting famous people and quidditch stars." She said as if this meant something significant.

"So?"

"So I have to look my best!"

I gave Reagan an exasperated look and she grinned as Alicia went on about how she was going to decide what to wear and when.

"Have you packed yet?" I asked Reagan quietly as Alicia continued to speak, completely unaware that neither of us were listening to her anymore.

"No." she admitted but she didn't look concerned. "I've had to pack last minute for so many games I've got it down to a science. I'm not planning on packing until ten minutes before we're supposed to leave."

"Ah, I see you like to live dangerously." I said grinning and she laughed again.

"So where are we staying when we get to America?" Alicia asked drawing our attention back to her.

"You'll be staying in the same hotel as the team with me. According to Max we're all on the fifth floor." Reagan answered.

"Think we're going to have any time for sightseeing?" Alicia continued excitedly. The game was being played in New York, one of the favorite places she'd been when she'd vacationed in the United States.

"You guys will but I probably won't." Reagan said shrugging. "Mom has loaded up our itinerary with team building activities the night before and then we're supposed to talk strategy the day of the game."

"So we're not going to get to see very much of you this weekend?" Alicia asked sounding a little disappointed, and while I would have loved to spend some time with Reagan in her home country, I pretty much expected her to be busy. "I was hoping you could show us around a little bit." she continued. "Show us some of your favorite places."

At this Regan laughed.

"What?" Alicia and I asked in unison.

"Nothing. It's just, the U.S. is a huge country and I'm not from New York. I've only been there once in my life and that was for a game. I don't know it any better than either of you. The only things I could show you would be stuff you probably already know about. We might have some time after the game though, if Justin gets a fast catch. We could poke around after that. We might even get a chance to look around before we leave on Sunday."

"Think anyone you know is going to come see you?" Alicia asked and Reagan grinned.

"Most everyone I know will be playing against me on the field." She said amused and Alicia rolled her eyes.

"Not players." She said sounding exasperated. "I meant like old friends or people from your old school. That sort of thing."

"Oh." Reagan said quietly and I glanced at her to gauge her reaction. Alicia of course didn't know what Reagan had been through at school in America.

"I doubt it." she said quickly her expression clearing at once and I was amazed at the change. "It's pretty far from my first school."

"Well that's too bad." Alicia said looking a little disappointed. "I would have liked to have meet some of your old friends."

Reagan looked a little awkward, as if she wasn't sure how to respond to this and I quickly changed the subject.

"We should get ready." I said looking at Alicia. "Practice starts in fifteen minutes. We need to get out on the pitch."

"You're right." She said glancing at her watch. "Reagan you've got to leave pretty soon too if you want to make it to yours on time. Meet back her after later to do Flitwick's practical exercises tonight?" she asked and we agreed.

"Then I'll see you in a minute, and I'll see you tonight." She said looking at me, then Reagan, then walking towards the girls dormitory to get her quidditch things.

"You ok?" I asked as Reagan watched her go. She blinked and looked at me.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"I just wasn't sure how you'd feel with Alicia bringing up your old school."

"Oh, that." She frowned and then she shrugged. "I'm fine. I mean, it's never fun to remember it, but I've moved on and I've got great friends now." She said smiling at me and I grinned back.

"Well I've got to go. I'll see you later tonight alright?"

"Alright."

I made my way towards the dormitories after Alicia feeling Reagan's eyes on me as I walked up the boys stair case, and wondering what it would be like seeing Reagan in America. Would it be weird for her to go back or would she be excited? This was something I'd never really thought of before, she'd seemed to adjust pretty well to living in a new country but part of me wondered if she still thought about the U.S. or if she'd moved on. Part of me wondered where she considered home.


	23. Chapter 23

I know it's been a while I'm so sorry I got insanely busy and then fell really behind on writing. Thank you to everyone who's made it this far and for all the follows/favorites and reviews! They really help motivate me to write! Hope you like the new chapter!

~secrethalfblood

Rpov

"So." Said Jason clapping a hand on my shoulder and looking down me with an amused expression. "What's it like being home? Nice not to be the only one with an accent again?"

"It's fine." I said a little untruthfully and brushing his hand off of me. "And you're the one with the accent here. Not me."

"You don't like fine." He pressed his smiling fading as our teammates walked passed us.

We were leaving the hotel for the first time since our arrival in New York, Oliver and Alicia had already left to explore the city, and I wasn't exactly certain I'd be getting a warm welcome.

"It'll be alright." Anson assured me from behind us and we turned back to look at him. "Players get traded all the time. It's how things are done."

"Not to different countries." I said nervously. "I'm pretty sure half the fan base here thinks I'm a traitor."

"So what if they do?" he asked shrugging. "It's one bad day and then you move on. Nothing you can do about it now."

"I guess you've got a point." I said with a sigh.

"You ready?" Jason asked and I nodded.

We followed the others through the lobby of the hotel towards the wizarding street outside. As we stepped through the glass doors I saw it was a clear, windy day but before I could even start to enjoy the sunlight, it was over powered by a series of blinding camera flashes that had created a wall of overpowering brightness.

"Styles! Williams! Over here!"

"Reagan! How does it feel being back in the United States?"

"Care to comment on your decision to leave the American team?"

"Jason! Can we get a picture?"

"Do you feel like you let your country down Miss Williams?"

"Tell us about your break up with Drake. Is it true he's already dating again?"

I averted my eyes and continued, trying to pretend as if couldn't see or hear any of them, but when we passed a pack of fans being held back by a group of security wizards, I heard something that made me do a double take.

"Reagan!"

I hesitated and looked back over my shoulder. Why did that voice sound familiar?

"Keep moving Ray." Jason said gruffly trying to push me forward but it was too late. I shouldn't have stopped.

Sensing weakness the press had closed in and separated me from Jason. The clicking and flashes increased exponentially as I tried to push through the crowd but it was no use.

"What is your response to ' The Quidditch Questioner' calling you a turncoat?"

"Previous team member Michael Colfax is quoted calling you a "quitter". Can you make a statement about that?"

"I- uh, I," I said turning trying to find a break in the sea of people that were shoving quills and cameras in my face. All of Max's media training and advice had gone completely out of my head. I didn't know what to do or say. It was like I was fifteen again, when I'd first gotten a taste of what it meant to be famous. I completely froze.

I could see Jason trying to get back to me but making no progress and questions continued to be thrown at me like weapons.

"Do you regret the trade?"

"How is your relationship with the national team? Are they angry with you?"

But suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder and a familiar voice said "Come on Reagan," gently.

I looked up in total confusion to see Alicia encouraging me to move towards a gap in the crowd that had been created by Oliver who was pushing reporters out of the way.

"What? I thought you guys left." I said as Alicia took my hand and started dragging me after my team.

"We saw the press on our way out." She explained almost having to shout over the noise of the cameras and the questions that were still coming. "Oliver thought we might have to stick around to make sure you were ok. I'm glad he did. This is mad!"

We continued to follow Oliver who was now threatening to jinx people and finally made it out of the swarm of paparazzi.

"We need to catch up with the others." I said and Alicia and I started to jog, but just as I'd thought we were clear, a man made it passed one of the security guards.

"What the-" Alicia said her eyes going wide but my hand was ripped from hers as I was tackled by him.

I fell hard and I heard Alicia shout.

"Reagan!"

"Traitor!" the man shouted and when I looked up at him, I saw his wand was out.

I felt my eyes go wide but before he could so much as utter a syllable, he'd been knocked off me and I heard Oliver shout.

"Alicia! Get Reagan out of here!"

He'd pinned the man and Alicia grabbed my hand again. She pulled on it, obviously wanting to get out of the craziness as more people tried to break through the security guards, but I refused to move.

"What about Oliver?"

"He'll be fine!" she insisted. "But right now you gotta go!"

Luckily, by now my team had seen what was going on and were running back to help. Anson and Jason both grabbed me and half dragged, half carried me away from the crowd while the others went to help Oliver and the security.

"Time to move Ray." Jason said and I was practically thrown onto the bus we were taking to the stadium. Alicia, who hadn't had anywhere else to go, along for the ride.

"Are you ok?" Coach Grove asked as Alicia and I took a pair of seats at the end of the of bus. "Any injuries?"

"I'm fine." I said my voice shaking a little as he looked out the window and swore.

"Idiots!" he shouted. He ran towards the front of the bus and the crowd where I saw a fight was starting to break out. "If one of them gets hurt I swear to Merlin…"

He exited the bus and started pushing people off the players forcing them to the vehicle looking irate.

"Wait!" I shouted in panic as the team quickly boarded and Grove snapped at the driving to get going to the stadium. "What about Oliver?"

"He's fine." Justin said as the bus doors shut. "Your agent managed to get him out of trouble. He's going to meet us at the stadium."

"Good." Alicia said but I felt guilt flooding through me.

This was all my fault. If I had just kept moving like I was supposed to…

Several people tried to check up on me as the bus trundled through the city, but I was too upset to really appreciate it. I hoped Oliver wasn't hurt. If he was, I was the one who'd asked him to come.

"It wasn't your fault." Alicia said reassuringly as we stepped off the bus and made our way towards the stadium.

"Yes it was." I said bitterly. I'd let the paparazzi get to me and he was the one to pay for it. "I should have just ignored them."

"Are you insane?" asked Alicia her eyes wide. "No one could have handled being ambushed like that. That's why Oliver wanted to make sure you were ok and thank Merlin he did."

I looked at her a little uncertainly, but she smiled.

"Oliver will be fine." She said soothingly. "He's a keeper. He's tough. Years of training with bludgers doesn't count for nothing you know."

"Yeah I guess." I said quietly but still feeling miserable."

We parted ways, me to the locker room and Alicia to wait for Oliver at their seats.

I stepped in the room, realizing it looked exactly as I remembered it. A tall ceiling with a black tiled floor, and red, white, and blue lockers. My teammates sat on the benches in front of the lockers and Grove was standing in the center of the room, fuming.

While usually coach had a formula for his pre-game pep talk, strategy, yelling at Jason, reminding us what games we needed to win, more yelling at Jason, information for individual players, and finally, ending with yelling at Jason, today he yelled at all of us.

Furious at me for taking the press's bait and endangering the team, and angry with the rest of the players for allowing themselves to be pulled into a fight before a match, he promised us a week of practices from hell but I found I barely heard his tirade.

Finally, after fifteen minutes of shouting, he went into his office to cool down before talking strategy and I felt Jason nudge me.

"What?" I asked trying to get into 'game mode' but I found it was a lot harder today. I was still feeling shaky from the attack and the fight afterward.

He gestured towards the door of the changing room which had a small window, through which I saw Max gesturing for me to come out.

I winced, knowing what this would be about. What had just happened was a PR nightmare for the team, something he was going to have to smooth over. The whole thing could cost sponsors and ruin hard earned reputations, all of which was my fault. I was going to get yelled at again.

I sighed and stepped out into the hall.

"Look Max." I started before he could start yelling. "I know I messed up. If there's anything I can do to fix-"

"Fix?" he asked cutting me off and sounding incredulous. "Fix? Reagan, you didn't do anything wrong. You were attacked. I came to see if you were alright."

"I'm fine." I said quickly. "How's Oliver?"

"I'm ok." Another voice sand and I turned to see Oliver, looking a little roughed up and with a cut on his cheek, but otherwise looking alright.

"Oh thank Houdini." I said tackling him in a hug which he returned.

"How are you feeling?" he asked looking down at me as we broke apart but Max spoke before I could respond.

"Are you able to play?" he asked frowning. "If you sustained any type of physical or psychological damage from this I swear the team security is hearing from your attorneys, none of that should have happened if they were doing their job."

"I'm fine," I repeated shaking my head but Max didn't look convinced.

"Are you sure because we can delay the game."

"No." I said quickly. "Really I'm ok, thanks to Oliver."

"Alright." He said still looking unsure. "If you say so."

I nodded and he glanced at Oliver before looking back at me.

"Well, I've got to go send an owl to the team owner, he's going to want to do damage control as quickly as possible. This is not going to reflect well on the team, even if they were just trying to get you out of there." He sighed. "I wouldn't be surprised if you end up on the front page Ray. Start preparing yourself for the aftermath."

"Alright." I said a little gloomily.

He gave me one last searching looking before turning and walking down the hall, no doubt to try and salvage the situation, leaving Oliver and I alone.

"Are you sure you're alright?" I asked looking up at him in concern.

"I'm fine." He said easily.

"You're bleeding." I pointed out.

"A little cut never hurt anyone." He said easily, wiping his cheek on the back of his hand and inspecting it. "I've had worse."

His tone was light but I couldn't control the feeling of horrible guilt that was clawing through me.

"I'm sorry I got you hurt." I said quietly.

"It's no big deal Ray."

"It is a big deal." I said indignantly. "What if someone had cursed you? Or worse, what if you were seriously injured?"

"But I'm not."

"But you could have been!" I insisted.

"Well, then I'd take comfort in knowing that it was me and not you." he said shrugging but this only made feel worse. "Besides, you've got a game to play. That's what you should be worried about. Not me."

"I don't care about that." I said taking us both by surprise and I felt myself go red.

"But," Oliver started looking confused, as if he couldn't quite understand what he was hearing. "It's quidditch."

"You really think I'd be able to play if I knew something had happened to you?" I mumbled looking away from him.

"I didn't think there was anything that would stop you from playing." He said softly.

"Yeah that's what I used to think."

I chanced a glance at him, and saw he looked stunned, but before either of us could say anything, the locker room door slammed open and a furious voice shouted.

"YOU ARE NOT ON HOLIDAY WILLIAMS, GET BACK IN HERE!"

I turned to see Coach Grove glaring at me and I knew I'd have to talk to Oliver some other time.

"I'll see you after the game." I said and walked back into the changing rooms where everyone was staring at me.

"Who is that kid anyways?" Coach asked irritated. "I saw him earlier. Why do I feel like he's always hanging around?"

"He's Ray's friend from school Mum." Jason supplied.

"I guess I should be thanking him." He grumbled still looking annoyed. "If he wasn't there earlier we might be missing a chaser for this game."

He looked as if he might go back into the hall, but then shrugged and turned back to the team.

"Alright." He said starting to draw a diagram on the chalk board that hung on the wall opposite the lockers. "Here's the formations we're using tonight."

I tried my best to focus as he continued the game plan, but I found I was stuggling. I kept thinking about Oliver and what I had said. I'd said I didn't care about the game, that had never happened before. I _never_ let anything distract me on game day, nothing had ever been more important then quidditch but as I continued to grapple with this sudden madness, I found I couldn't concentrate. I shook my head and tried to force Oliver out of my mind.

"You ok Ray?" Jason whispered as Grove directed his speech towards Anson.

"I'm fine." I said though I wasn't really sure if I was or not.

"You don't look like you normally do before a game." He said frowning. "Look if you're freaked out about what happened earlier we can give you some time, send on a reserve for a bit until-"

"No." I said shaking my head. What was wrong with me? What was I doing? I needed to focus. "No, I'm fine." I repeated after taking a deep breath.

He looked as if he wanted to argue but before he could, Grove had dismissed the teams and they started filing out for warm ups.

I avoided Jason's eye and followed Justin out onto the field where thousands of people were cheering and cameras flashed. I tuned it out, filtering all the meaningless noise as I mounted my broom and started warm ups.

I went through the motions of the pregame drills, still wondering why I'd been so distracted. As I continued to warm up, I felt myself settle back into my game routine, but even as I took shots on goal Oliver was in the back of my mind. It seemed as if it was impossible to get him out.

An alarming thought occurred to me as Jason and I tossed the quaffle each other then sped towards the goal. One that sounded so strange to me, I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't said what I'd said earlier. Part of me couldn't help but wonder if finally, I'd found something that I cared about more than quidditch.


	24. Chapter 24

Hello all! So the story is almost finished, I'm going to try and finish it within the next couple of days. Thanks for all of you that are reading/favoriting/following/reviewing. I've been really bad about uploading lately and I'm sorry about that, but I hope you like the new chapter!

~secrethalfblood

Opov

The England v USA game was a long one, and it was a close game. The American seeker had caught the snitch, but Reagan and Styles scored a goal each at the last second causing the game to end at 380 to 360 with England in the lead.

After the game, several of Reagan's past team members came over to talk to her, however I noticed one of the beaters throw her a dirty look before storming back into the changing rooms. Apart from that, on the actual team level, there didn't seem to be any hard feelings about Reagan's transfer. After what had happened with the fans before the game however, Max wasn't taking any chances.

He'd forbidden her from leaving her room until we left for Hogwarts, and I could tell being holed up in the hotel was getting to her. All last night and this morning she'd been pacing around the room, unable to sit still for more than a few minutes, and spent most of the time trying to convince the security wizards Max had insisted stand guard out her door to let her spend some time outside.

So far the answer had always been the same. A resounding no.

"Oh come on!" She said in irritation as she'd tried to open one of the windows, only to find it had been charmed shut. "This is getting ridiculous. It's like I'm a prisoner."

She grabbed her quaffle and started tossing it rapidly between her hands in a way I'd come to associate with Reagan and frustration.

"I know you're upset." Alicia said soothingly. She was sitting on the bed and outstretched her so that Reagan instinctively passed her the quaffle. "But I think it's good they're being so cautious. You've had someone break into your hotel room before. Didn't they climb through the window?"

"That was one time." She said waving this off as if it were nothing and I exchanged a glance with Alicia.

"How can you be so casual about this?" I asked her incredulously and standing up from the wall I'd been leaning against. "Some mad fan tried to curse you less than twenty-four hours ago."

"Yeah, but that's over now." She said but I wasn't convinced.

I'd always known being friends with a world famous quidditch star was going to have some irregularities, but so far it hadn't been too weird. Tonight however, it looked as if we'd stumbled upon one of the not just negative side effects of Reagan's fame, but something that was actually dangerous.

"You know you might want to invest in a body guard." I said looking at her. "First the stalker, then that guy who broke into your hotel room, now this…"

At this Reagan looked annoyed.

"I'm not paying some muscle head to follow me around and treat me like a child." She said indignantly. "And I don't need an escort. I hate waiting like this. I wish we could just leave."

"It's for your safety."

"I don't need protecting!"

"I dunno Ray." Alicia said frowning. "I think Oliver's got a point. I meant what if we hadn't been there yesterday? That guy could have done something horrible to you and no one would have been able to stop him."

I tried to ignore the pang of fear that went through me as Alicia had said this, but Reagan continued to look stubborn.

"I'm not getting a body guard." She said crossing her arms over her chest moodily and glaring at the wall across from her.

Alicia looked at me, obviously puzzled at Reagan's reaction but I thought I knew what was bothering her. Reagan liked to think of herself as a relatively normal person and I was sure she saw a body guard as a constant reminder of her fame which she so often wanted to escape.

"It might be an inconvenience," I said injecting a tone of sense in my voice and she looked at me uncertainly. "But you need to be realistic Ray. There are crazy people out there."

"So?"

"So you're famous." I said and she looked away a little bitterly. "I know you don't want to think so, but it makes a difference."

"I know I'm famous ok?" she said quietly. "You don't have to remind me."

"Well I will if it makes you see reason I will."

"And what am I supposed to do?" she asked sounding upset. "Have some goon following me around everywhere, ready to hex people if they get too near me? How would that work at school? If I had a body guard with me on the train I wouldn't have even met you."

"You could have Oliver follow you." Alicia said thoughtfully. "He seemed more than capable."

"This isn't a joke Alicia." I said irritated. "Reagan's lucky she wasn't hurt."

"It was just one guy." Reagan insisted.

"I still think you should consider it."

"Oliver, what is the odds it's ever going to happen again?" she asked but just then there was a knock on the door.

"Finally." Reagan said looking relieved. She stood but before she could cross the room, the door opened and a massive wizard with short, dark hair stepped into the room.

"Miss Williams?" he asked.

"Yep. That's me." Reagan said grabbing her bags. "Let's go."

"We can't leave yet." He said gruffly. "There's been a security issue."

"You've got to be kidding me." She said her face falling and I felt shock go through me.

What on earth could have possibly gone wrong now?

"We caught these two sneaking towards your room." He continued. "They say they know you."

A second man, just as vast as the first but with a shaved head and blue eyes came in dragging two nervous girls who looked to be about our age, both blonde and Reagan's eyes went wide.

"Laura?" she asked almost as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. "Stella?"

"Hey Ray." The girl on the left said meekly. "Long time no see."

"Reagan." Alicia said looking at her, but she seemed lost for words. "Who are these girls?"

But I'd seen them before. In a photo at Reagan's apartment. Though they were much younger in the picture, I knew exactly who these girls were and what they had done.

"We used to go to school together." Reagan said her tone casual but she didn't look happy to see the girls, not that I would have expected her to be.

The first guard must have picked up on this because he said.

"What do you want us to do with them?" he asked and Reagan looked at the girls for a few moments, in which I could tell Alicia was trying to piece together what was going on and why Reagan was acting so indifferently to her old classmates.

"Nothing." She said eventually. "Just make them leave."

"Reagan wait." It was the girl on the left who'd spoken again. "We just want to talk."

"I don't think she wants to talk to you." Alicia said putting comforting arm around Reagan's shoulder. She clearly still had no idea what was going on, but it was obvious she was prepared to blindly take Reagan's side no matter what the situation was.

"You don't understand." The girl on the right said. "It's not what you think. We don't want to bother you, it's just, we knew this was the only way we'd be able to get to talk to you." The girl on the left continued looking at Reagan and the girl on the right finished for her.

"We tried to get your attention yesterday, but there were too many people. You didn't see us in the crowd."

"What do you guys want?" Reagan asked sounding tired and both girls looked a little awkward before the left one continued.

"We wanted to say we were sorry."

"Seems a little late for that." I muttered angrily but Reagan looked at her childhood friends and I could tell she was thinking.

"You guys came all the way to New York just to talk to me?"

"Yeah, when we heard you were coming home we got tickets as fast as we could."

"I thought you gave up quidditch." Reagan said her voice a little cold. "Why bother with me? I thought you were happy with your new friends."

The girls didn't seem to have a response for this and Alicia took advantage of the silence.

"If you don't mind me asking." she said looking at the girls. "Who are you?"

"They're old school mates of Reagan's." I explained. "And they weren't very nice to her."

The girls looked anxiously at each other and then at Reagan.

"We feel really bad Ray." The girl on left said looking at her feet. "I don't expect you to forgive us, but-"

"And what exactly did you expect to happen Laura?" Reagan asked crossing her arms over her chest and addressing her. "How did you even find out where I was staying?"

"Your mom told us." Laura said, while the girl on the right, who's name I guessed to be Stella, nodded.

"That's how we got the tickets." Stella said quietly and Reagan looked annoyed.

"Of course she gave them away." Reagan said sounding a little bitter. "I knew I shouldn't have sent them to her…"

"She was going to come." Laura said and Reagan frowned. "She's actually in the city with us. That's how we got here, but, I dunno. She thought we should talk to you first. That's how we got passed most of the guards but your mom ran into Max and he wanted to talk to her, so we figured we'd go on ahead."

"My mom's here?" she asked in shock.

"Yeah." Laura said looking a little hopeful while Stella nodded quickly.

Reagan's expression was strange and while I wasn't sure how I expected her to react to the news of her mother being in town, it certainly wasn't what I saw. It as if she were trying to keep herself from getting her hopes up.

"What does she want?" she asked cautiously.

I caught Alicia's expression and I could tell she was surprised by Reagan's reaction. No doubt she would have thought Reagan would have been thrilled to see her mother, but I'd heard Reagan speak about her enough not to be too shocked.

"No idea." Stella said. Apparently neither of her past friends found this reaction unusual. "But she does want to see you. Said she had some things she wanted to discuss with you."

Reagan's face was hard to read, but I could tell by the way she picked the quaffle up off the bed and started tossing it to herself again that she wasn't exactly happy.

"You still do that, huh?" Laura said grinning slightly and suddenly Reagan stopped, then looked at the girls. Suddenly, she the quaffle at Laura as hard as she could.

Startled, Laura caught it out of reflex and Regan smiled.

"You're playing again."

"Yeah." Laura said looking a little embarrassed. "Stella is too."

Reagan laughed.

"I can tell. If you weren't that would have hit you straight in the face." She turned to Alicia and I. "Laura was the best keeper in our league growing up. Stella was the best seeker too. We won the championships three years in a row. Though," she looked at Laura. "I'm pretty sure Oliver could take you."

"Oliver?" she asked looking puzzled.

"Him." Reagan said gesturing towards me. "These are my friends from school. Oliver and Alicia. They play quidditch too."

"Should have figured." Laura said grinning as well as Stella looked as us curiously.

"Well." The first of the security guards said and we all looked at him. I had a feeling I wasn't the only one to forget they were there. "There doesn't seem to be a threat here. We'll leave you all to talk."

"So." Reagan said catching the quaffle that Laura tossed her and looking at her childhood friends as she sat in the chair by the desk. "What have you two been up to? It's been years. How's Salem?"

"We wouldn't know." Stella said leaning against the nightstand. "We left."

"Why?" Reagan asked in surprise.

"Because it was awful." Laura said in distaste. "After you left school wasn't any fun. Everyone there was so mean. Even when we made friends with people all they did was make fun of other people and talk behind our backs. It was horrible. We transferred to a boarding school on the West coast. Quidditch is much bigger there. We had no trouble finding a team."

"I know it is." Reagan said grinning.

"Yeah. Actually, our coach is someone you played in the minor leagues with."

"Really? Who?"

"Do you remember Dustin?"

"He's coaching now?" Reagan asked interestedly and the girls continued to talk about her old team mate while I sat next to Alicia.

"What's up?" I asked when I caught Alicia's expression. She was looking between the girls and frowning slightly.

"Nothing." She said quietly. "It's just. These girls seem to know Reagan pretty well, but she's never mentioned them before. And you seemed to know who they were."

"It's kind of a long story." I said and she continued to frown.

"What did they have to apologize for? Am I missing something?"

I hesitated, not really sure if it was my place to say anything, but Alicia eventually shrugged and spared the need for me to explain anything by saying.

"I guess if Reagan wants to tell me she will."

I was about to say I sure Reagan would tell Alicia if she asked, when there was another knock at the door.

"Miss Williams." The security wizard said opening the door. "Your mother would like a word with you."

The room went silent and I noticed both Laura and Stella went a little tense as a woman stepped into the room. She looked very much like Reagan with the same dark hair and brown eyes, but they were not nearly as friendly and in a strange way, despite the similarities to her daughter, she looked nothing like the way I'd expect Reagan's mother would look.

Whereas Reagan spent most of her time in muggle jeans and a t shirt outside of quidditch and school, this woman was in expensive looking robes. I could tell by her jewelry and fashionable haircut she was the sort of woman who liked to keep up with her appearance.

But their choice in clothing wasn't the only difference between the two. Reagan was a pretty relaxed, down to earth sort of person who laughed easily, but it was obvious this was not the case with her mother. Just from her expression and the way she held herself as she walked, I could tell she was a very particular person. Exactly the sort of person who would not appreciate her only daughter spending hours outside on a broom messing up her hair and tracking mud back into her home.

I felt a shiver go through me, the contrast between them were startling.

"Hello Reagan." She said looking around the hotel apparently unimpressed, but I had a feeling it could have been a five-star joint and she'd still manage to find a problem with it.

"What are you doing here?" Reagan asked uncertainly.

"As impatient as ever I see." She said frowning. "I see moving to London has done nothing to improve your manners. Won't you even greet your mother? I did come a long way."

"Hi Mom." Reagan said flatly and I could tell she was doing her best not to let her irritation creep into her tone.

"That's better." She said looking through the bag held on her arm and pulling out a mirror checking her reflection before looking at her daughter reprovingly. "I might not agree with your life choices but I did not raise you to be impolite young lady."

I expected Reagan to be affronted to be addressed as if she was a ten-year-old, but I could tell by her expression that she was far too used to this attitude to bother arguing against it. Alicia caught my eye and mouthed.

'Is she serious?'

I glanced at Laura and Stella, who both looked a little afraid of Reagan's mother. It was strange how much of an effect she seemed to have on everyone in the room. Then again this was the woman callous enough not to intervene while her daughter had been bullied relentlessly at school in order to protect her reputation, so, maybe this anxiety was well deserved.

Reagan's mother ignored her old friends and looked at Alicia and I. Next to me I felt Alicia shudder.

"Who are these two?" she asked sounding only mildly interested.

"These are my friends from school. Oliver and Alicia."

"More quidditch players I assume." She said with obvious disapproval but then looked at me with a glimmer of intrigue. "So, I take it he's not your boyfriend then?"

"No."

"That's too bad." She said turning back to Reagan who was looking very annoyed now. "I'm glad you've stopped dating that nuisance singer at any rate, before he could embarrass our family with one of his countless indiscretions."

"That's not really your business."

"I'm your mother." She said in a clipped tone. "Everything you do is my business as it is a reflection on me. And speaking of business, I have something I need to discuss with you."

"Business?" I asked unable to keep myself frowning while Laura and Stella frantically gestured for me to stop talking but I ignored them. "What does that have to do with Reagan?"

She turned back to me and I could instantly see her opinion of me turn from amiable indifference to possible dislike.

"You are as impertinent as my daughter." She said coolly. "I hardly think this is any of your concern."

She turned back to Reagan.

"You know now that I think about it. I do think I'd prefer to speak with you without your friends in the room. I imagine it will save senseless disruptions."

"You're kicking us out?" Alicia asked angrily.

"Yes." The woman said carelessly. "But by all means stay if you feel the need to intrude on family matters."

"I have a feeling she's using that term loosely." I muttered scowling, but standing and dragging Alicia out of the room with me after Laura and Stella.

The door shut behind us and Alicia immediately went on a rant about Reagan's mother, but I continued to stare at the door, uncertain why, but feeling a bit concerned.

"What does Reagan's mother want with her?" I asked Laura quietly and she frowned.

"I don't know Oliver." She said. "But I'm willing to bet it's not to plan a family reunion."

"Has she always been like that?" Alicia asked, apparently still a little indignant at the way we'd be thrown out of the room.

"Yeah." Stella responded and we all turned to her. "They've never really had what you would call a normal relationship."

At this Laura let out a dry laugh.

"What?" Alicia and I asked and she seemed to choose her words carefully before saying.

"Nothing. It's just, Reagan's Mom sort of gave up being her Mom in any meaningful way when she realized Reagan was never going to be the little princess she'd expected to raise."

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"I dunno, it's hard to explain." Laura continued. "She'd do things she had to like paying for Reagan's school and make sure she had everything she needed. But you see how they talk to each other. Like their relationship is more out of a sense of duty to each other rather than anything all that real. Reagan was always on her own when all the kids parents would come to quidditch practices and our games, even when we were little. I don't think her mom's ever gone out of her way to do anything for Reagan unless she had some sort of vested interest in it."

"Reagan knows it too." Stella said. "I think deep down she'd hoped that would change but…"

Her sentence faded and she shrugged.

"So she's using her?" Alicia said furiously.

"I don't think so. Not intentionally." Laura said looking conflicted. "I think her mother just finds ways to justify to herself she's doing Reagan a favor by acting this way, trying to get her to make the right life choices. I think she cares more about raising her right, rather than raising her to be happy. It looks good on her you know? And in the end, reputation is everything to Reagan's Mom."

"That's awful." Alicia whispered and the other girls nodded, but something had clicked within me. Why Reagan was so determined to control her image in the media. Why she'd always seemed such a different person when the press or her fans were around. It wasn't just to keep her privacy. It was how she was raised.

Even since before she was famous or was bullied, though I was sure both of those things hadn't helped, her mother had been teaching her that to get along with people she had to present herself as someone else. A perfect version of herself to keep people happy.

"It is awful." I said quietly. How had she dealt with that for so long?

Reagan's mother didn't emerge from the room for a long time, long enough that Alicia had gone back to her room to find something to eat, but I waited outside with the security wizards and Reagan's old friends. Eventually, the door opened and Reagan's mother stepped into the hall, her expression unreadable.

"Now why am I not surprised you're out here?" She said eyeing me critically.

I didn't answer. I had no idea what to say to her and I had a feeling she'd already formed her opinion of me anyways.

She looked at me for a couple more seconds before looking at Laura and Stella.

"Well ladies, I think it's time for us to leave."

"But-" Stella said looking a little upset. "We barely got to talk to her at all."

"I think you'll find our train doesn't really care how many minutes you got to speak with my daughter. It will leave at one thirty if you're on it or not. And you two need to get back to school."

"Alright." They said in disappointment.

"Tell Reagan goodbye for us will you?" Laura asked and I nodded.

"See you Oliver." Stella said sounding glum.

"See you." I said and watched them walk down the hall for a bit, then glanced at the security wizard who'd moved in front of the door again.

He stepped aside and I hesitated before pushing open the door to see Reagan standing by the window, her arms crossed over her chest and looking down at the muggle road where cars were slowly making their way through the city.

"You ok?" I asked and she shrugged not looking at me, but still on the road.

"What did your mum want?" I asked but she gave no answer. Again, she refused to look at me.

"Ray, you can tell me."

"It's stupid."

"Not if it makes you upset." I said quietly and she finally looked at me, her eyes worried.

"She wrote a book." She said eventually. "About me."

"What?" I asked in astonishment.

And she nodded.

"It's called 'Raising Reagan'. Catchy title, don't you think?" she asked bitterly. "She said if I keep playing she's going to publish it.

"Are you serious?" I asked feeling my eyes going wide.

"Yeah." She bit her lip before continuing. "Oliver, it's bad. She brought the manuscript. It's got everything in it. Everything about me being bullied, not having any friends, being driven out of school…"

"And she's trying to black mail you with it to stop you from playing?"

I felt like I should have been furious, but I was in such a state of shock I wasn't sure I could believe what I was hearing.

At this she let out a bitter laugh.

"Ironically no. I think she thinks she's helping."

"How on earth is that helping?"

"Because she says if I stay famous the story is going to come out eventually, and this way it on my terms. In her words, it will look 'brave' not like I was concealing something."

She sighed and shook her head, running her fingers through her hair.

"So what are you going to do?" I asked quietly.

"I've no idea."

"You're not going to stop playing are you?" I asked in horror.

"Of course not."

"So we just have to convince your Mum not to publish it."

"Her mind is made up." She said flatly. "She's already got publishers waiting for her to send it in and I already told her I wasn't going to stop playing. My guess is they'll have it by the end of the week."

"I can't believe she'd do that to you." I said and she shrugged. "Are you going to be ok?"

"I don't know." She said sitting on the bed next to me. "How would you feel if the worst, most humiliating moments of your life were in print for anyone to read?"

She was looking at her knees looking a little stunned.

"This is going to mean a lot more media coverage, isn't it?" I asked.

"Yeah."

"Well." I said trying to sound as positive as possible remembering how insane the crowds were yesterday. "You won't be alone. You'll always have Alicia and I if you need us to take out some paparazzi for you."

She let out a short laugh, but it sounded different than usual and when I looked up I saw tears were in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked panic filling me, afraid I'd said something stupid but she quickly wiped her eyes and looked embarrassed.

"Nothing." She mumbled. "It's stupid."

"You can tell me."

"I just, I really thought all this was behind me." She said shaking her head. "I didn't want to relive it again and now everyone is going to know. And with Laura and Stella showing up…"

"It's forcing you to face it again?" I asked and she laughed again, but it still didn't sound right.

"Like I said, it's stupid. I'm just getting upset over something that doesn't matter anymore."

"It's not stupid." I said putting my hand over hers. "I can't imagine how that would feel."

"Thanks Oliver." She muttered wiping her eyes again.

"Besides, this weekend wasn't a total loss. You won last night, and I got to tackle someone. I've always wanted to do that."

She laughed again and this one sounded far closer to normal.

"You are so weird."

"Hey, you're friends with me." I said grinning and she smiled.

"True."

"I know it sucks Ray," I continued. "But you don't have to get through it alone. And we've got a trip to Hogsmead next weekend where you don't have to think about any of this."

"That can't come fast enough." She said quietly turning her hand so her palm brushed mine and her finger interlaced with mine.

I glanced at her. She didn't notice, apparently lost in thought and part of me, a part that I knew Alicia would have agreed with, was telling me to tell Reagan how I felt about her, but a much stronger part of me knew it wasn't the right time. Reagan was still upset. Telling her now would just give her something else to think about, and she didn't need any more things on her mind. Right now what she needed was a friend.

'There's always next weekend.' I thought as she leaned her head against my shoulder, she still hadn't let go of my hand.

"You know." She said quietly. "Maybe it's not the worst thing if people know. You know and you're the best friend I've ever had. Maybe there's a bright side to all this."

"Does that mean you're gonna replace me when the whole world knows your secrets?" I asked amused and she smiled.

"I don't think that's possible."


	25. Chapter 25

Rpov

The next week was not fun. While the major papers didn't care too much about the fight that had broken out between the fans and the team, the tabloids had a field day with it. The whole team was doing damage control all week, talking to sponsors and scheduling interviews with any magazine that would take our side of the story.

Coach was furious with us and we paid in practice. We did so many drills on Monday's practice I didn't get back to Hogwarts until Tuesday morning. The others got to sleep but I had classes and homework. All week I was running on empty, expected not only to keep up with my teacher's work load and N.E.W.T. test prep, but also keep up with the press releases of the team and interviews Max had been scheduling for me.

Saturday and the trip into Hogsmead came as a welcome relief. I couldn't wait to get away from the school and the media and just spend some time with Oliver where I didn't have to think about any of it for a while.

"We should have eaten before we left." I groaned holding my stomach as it growled.

As usual Oliver and I woken up early to practice together this morning, but we'd lost track of time and pretty much missed breakfast. Instead of rushing to the Great Hall hoping we'd make it before all the food was gone, we'd just decided to grab food in the village.

"We're almost there." He said amused. "Then you can eat all you want."

It was a nice day and as we walked, we started a conversation about Ireland's latest victory over Mexico in the preliminaries for the cup. We'd just gotten into an debate about penalties when a strange feeling crept over me.

"Is it just me, or are people staring at us?" I asked frowning noticing as couple of Ravenclaws looked in our direction and started whispering.

"It's almost like you're famous or something." He said amused.

"This is different." I said shaking my head and looking around a little anxiously. A knot of fifth years behind us were pointing excitedly and the feeling increased. "Something feels weird."

Hogwarts students were used to me now for the most part. Occasionally someone would stare, or ask me for an autograph but other than that I was treated pretty much just like a normal student. Not today though. Everyone walking into Hogsmead with us were talking, all looking at us.

"It's probably nothing." Oliver said shrugging. "You've been in the papers quite a bit lately. You know the school gets excited every time they see your name in the headlines."

"But for what?" I asked in confusion. All my interviews had been published earlier this week and Max almost always got word of a story being leaked before it was printed. He usually at least gave me a warning if I was going to see myself in the news.

"Who knows. You of all people know they'll make up anything to sell papers."

"True." I agreed and we pressed on.

I ignored the stares as we entered the village, but found it was difficult when I noticed it wasn't just the students that were staring now. Some locals had even stopped mid-step, or were attracting the attention of their friends excitedly to point at us.

"What is going on?" I asked frowning but Oliver wasn't concerned.

"Just ignore them. Let's get something to eat. I'm starving."

We made our way towards Honeydukes where we bought several bags of candy and ate as many samples as the owners would give us.

"You know we should probably go get real food." I said glancing at my watch as we stepped out of the candy shop and almost dropping a box of chocolate frogs. "It's almost lunch time."

"What, endless sugar isn't a part of you training regimen?" he asked me grinning and I laughed.

"No, not really."

"And yet you're on your forth cauldron cake."

"Says the guy who's elbow deep in a box of every flavor beans."

"You're the professional athlete not me." He said smirking and eating another bean then wincing, apparently not enjoying the flavor. "Ew, lint flavored. But you're probably right. We should eat something substantial before we crash. Alicia said she and Aiden were going to the Three Broomsticks. Want to see if we can meet up with them?"

"Sure."

We made our way towards the pub, and I couldn't help but notice there seemed to be more people on the street than there were before.

"Is it just me, or is it the village really crowded today?" I asked.

"I was thinking that too." He said looking around. "But it's a nice day, maybe people are just out and about."

"Yeah." I said uncertainly but we were attracting attention again and I was glad we'd reached the pub. That was until we stepped inside.

The moment the door opened and the sunlight flooded into the dim bar that was packed with Hogwarts students, all sound cut out. Everyone was staring at us.

"Oliver…" I muttered nervously. "What's happening?"

"You're the quidditch star, you tell me."

Suddenly, the door swung shut behind us and the sound seemed to wake everyone up. A low buzz of talk started to build as people pointed at us excitedly and whispering to their friends.

"Should we find a table?" I asked hesitantly, but before Oliver could respond, Alicia fell out of nowhere dragging Aiden with her.

"What are you guys doing here?" she asked her eyes wide, she was looking at us as if we were insane.

"We were hoping to run into you." Oliver said frowning. "Sorry if we interrupted your date. I didn't think you'd mind."

"It's not that." She said incredulously. "You guys need to get back to the castle now. Go! Now!"

"Why?" Oliver and I asked in unison. He looked just as confused as I felt.

"Didn't you read the paper this morning?" Aiden asked frowning.

"No." Oliver said honestly. "Why? Is Ray in it?"

But I saw the hopeless look Alicia gave him and my brain seemed to be thrown into fast forward, making the connection without conscious thought.

"They didn't write something about Oliver, did they?" I asked in horror feeling panic flood through me.

Before she could answer however, the door flew open and shouted.

"They're in here!"

All four of us turned only to be blinded by camera flashes.

"Reagan! Over here!"

"Oliver! Look this way!"

"What is going on?" I asked Alicia but she'd already grabbed me and started pulling me away from the entrance of the pub. Aiden following, dragging Oliver behind him.

"There's no time to explain!" she said quickly trying to push through the tables and excited students in the pub. "Get out of my way!"

"Oliver!" said a voice and I looked up to see several of the Gryffindor quidditch team members had abandoned their tables were gesturing for us to follow them as they made a way through the crowd.

It was Katie who'd spoken, she and Angelina were holding open a door that let out behind the pub while the twins had pulled out their wands and were threatening to hex anyone who got in our way.

"Get out of here!" Alicia said pushing me towards the door. "Get back to the castle if you can. They won't be able to follow you there."

"But-"

I never got to finish my question however because both Oliver and I were forced out the door and after glancing at each other for a moment, Oliver said.

"Alicia's right. We should get out of here."

"What did they even write about?" I asked as we started to run.

"We can figure out that out later."

We hit the main road only to see that it too was flooded with reporters and their camera crews.

I shielded my face and ran with Oliver but we found the way back to school was completely blocked.

"C'mon!" Oliver shouted over the questions the reporters were hurling at us and taking my hand. "Follow me!"

He dragged me away from the main road.

I wasn't sure how long we were followed but it wasn't until we'd gone down several side streets and he pulled me into a shadowy alley that he finally let go of me.

"Alright," he said glancing out into the street before looking back at me. "I think we lost them."

"What was that all about?" I asked panting.

"I've no idea." He said frowning. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Are you?"

He nodded and we stared at each other for a moment, neither of us really sure what to do.

"Well, what now?" he asked a little awkwardly. "Should we wait here until they're gone? How long does it usually take?"

"I don't know Oliver." I said shaking my head and sitting on a crate that looked as if it had housed a case of butterbeer. "These people are insane, they waste hours just waiting for celebrities to show up. I wouldn't put it passed them to wait in the village all night."

"But what would they want with me?" he asked frowning. "How did those reporters even know my name?"

"Someone must have told them who you are and that we're friends." I said bitterly. "They're probably hoping you might give them an insider's scoop about me."

"Well that's never going to happen." He said looking annoyed and I felt myself smile slightly.

"I think Alicia was right." I said eventually. "We need to find a way to get back up to the castle."

"Yeah, maybe we might be able to get through now that they're spread out looking all over the village for us."

I nodded and stood, but right as I was about to suggest we make a break for it, I saw a copy of this morning's 'Prophet' that had been discarded at the mouth of the alley.

I picked it up and glanced at the front page only to feel my entire body go cold.

On it was a collection of pictures of Oliver and I together, walking through Hogsmead on our last trip together, talking on the roof of 'The Club' after Drake has left that night, even pictures of us together in class and in the library, that looked as if students had sent them into the _Prophet_.

Almost afraid to, I glanced at the Headline and saw written in bold letters was.

SCHOOL SWEETHEARTS? MYSTERY BOY REVEALED!

"What is this?" Oliver asked his eyes narrowing in confused but I felt my stomach sinking.

"No." I muttered in horror as I looked at the pictures again. They were of only Oliver and I. No one else. Not even Alicia had made an appearance. "No, no, no."

"What's wrong?" Oliver asked but I ignored him and started to read the article.

 _Since her arrival in England over the last summer, popular quidditch star Reagan Williams has be making headlines for everything from her record breaking career to her charitable organization, but when it came to the celebrity herself, we've had very little to write about. Notoriously private about her personal life, the wizarding community was astounded when she went public with her brief but well covered relationship with singer Drake Dennings. Since their break up, with the exception of a brawl before her last game against the United States, Williams seemed to have return to her policy of relative privacy, for a celebrity at least. Busy with classes and her career, little is known about Reagan's daily life at school but rumors have been circulation of a close friendship developing between her and one of her classmates. Spotted together in numerous places, from her games to a night in the city with the quidditch star, fans were bound to wonder who this mystery boy was. When asked about this relationship, Reagan's teammate Jason Styles and refused to comment, but the Daily Prophet can exclusively reveal the identity of this boy to be none other than Oliver Wood, Gryffindor quidditch captain and fellow seventh year student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry which Ms. Williams currently attends. In an interview with Connie Williams, Reagan's mother, about her upcoming book which features the young quidditch star, Connie confirms an extremely close relationship between Williams and Wood. (For more information on the upcoming book 'Raising Reagan' see pg. 7). While a romantic relationship is yet to be confirmed, Oliver was spotted in America with Reagan during England's match against the U. S and several Hogwarts students have confirmed with photographic evidence the two are almost inseparable at school. Are Wood and Williams just friends as they make it seem? Or is there more to this relationship than meets the eye?_

I finished the article and threw the paper away in fury.

"Well I guess we know how they found out who I am." Oliver said quietly.

"I can't believe her!" I said my voice shaking. "Oliver, I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry about it." He said but I shook my head shutting my eyes.

"No." I said furiously. "It's not fair. You didn't do anything and now you're being chased around by cameras."

"Reagan." He said sounding a little alarmed at my anger. "It's ok."

"Not it's not." I said. "This is all my fault. I never meant for you to get involved in any of this. I should have known-"

"Known what? That they were going to ambush you?" he said but I found couldn't look at him. "That your mum was going to put your personal life all over the front page?"

"You've been so nice to me all this year, and now they're going to throw you into this media mess." I said my anger transforming into panic.

"It'll be alright." He said putting his hands on my shoulders.

"No it won't." I said bitterly. "Oliver," I said finally looking up at him and saw he was looking down at me with concern I didn't feel I deserved. "You don't understand. They got even more pictures of us together and my mother already told them who you are. They've already gotten everything they need to make this a major story. They're not going to leave you alone."

"Reagan," he said steadily. "Calm down."

"This is all my fault." I said my voice still wavering. "I'm sorr-"

"Don't be sorry." He said quietly. "It's not your fault."

"But it is." I said desperately. I should have known something like this was going to happen. That I couldn't have normal friends and a normal life without people like Oliver getting dragged into this insanity I'd invited into my life. What had I been thinking? I should never have let things get this far…

"I don't care." He said quickly and I stared at him.

"What?" I asked my mind still racing. How was I going to fix this? Not even Max would be able to keep a lid on a story like this. I didn't see a way out.

"I don't care." He repeated. "I don't care what they write about me, I don't care who sees it. They can put my picture in the paper a thousand times and it wouldn't bother me as long as it meant you were in my life."

"But why?" I asked confused.

"You're worth it." He said simply.

I looked at him trying to find a way to express what his words meant to me but they failed me. All I could do was look at him. I'd expected him to be angry, to hate me for all the craziness I'd dragged him through. Constantly getting ambushed by the press, nearly getting him cursed in New York, having to worry the next story or where we could go in case it was going to be photographed. But he didn't look angry at all.

"I don't care what they do." He said softly. "If that's what I have to deal with to have you in my life then that's what I have to deal with, but don't apologize and don't feel guilty."

"Why?"

"Because you're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"How can you say that?" I asked incredulously. "All of done is gotten you tangled in the mess the media has made my life."

But the next thing I knew, he'd taken my face between his hands and kissed me. All the anger and panic I'd been feeling had vanished. It dissolved as he pulled me closer, and i found that my had brain simply stopped working.

My heart was pounding and I felt suddenly weightless. Like I'd entered the free fall of a dive after a quaffle. I found I didn't care about the article that had come out or what my mother had done. I didn't even care how it would look if someone were to find us right now. We could have ended up on the front page again and it wouldn't have bothered me.

I didn't know how long we stood there, all I knew was that when we broke apart, all I could do was stare at him in shock.

"I'd rather be in your life, even if it means dealing with that mess, than live my life without it if that meant letting you go."

I couldn't help it. I kissed him again.


	26. Chapter 26

This is the final chapter and I just want to thank everyone for all the support! I never would have finished if I didn't have the encouragement, I really appreciate it! Hope you enjoy!

~ secrethalfblood

Opov

The last few weeks of school were crazy. I probably should have spent more time studying for my N.E.W.T.s but honestly, any time that wasn't spent training for our match against Slytherin for the house cup, which we won, I spent with Reagan.

As was his pattern, Harry managed to have another near fatal adventure before we boarded the train, and Sirius Black managed to escape the ministry again. In all the excitement of everything that was happening, graduation passed in a blur and the next thing I knew the school year had ended and I found myself free to do whatever I wanted with my life.

Of course I'd always known what I wanted to do after school, but now that I actually had the opportunity to do it… It just didn't seem real.

I stepped onto the pitch feeling as if my stomach had knotted itself so tightly it was never going to come undone.

A figure dropped from the air and landed next to me, laughing as she shouldered her broom.

"You look like you're about to throw up."

"I feel like I'm about to throw up." I admitted.

"Relax." Reagan said amused. "You'll be fine."

She was already in the team's practice robes, and I was hoping after today's open trials I'd own a pair as well.

"You want to warm up?" she asked and I nodded.

"You better not be snogging your boyfriend down there Ray ray!" said a familiar voice and we looked up to see Jason Styles, who also played for Puddlemere United during the league season, was flying overhead. "You're supposed to be objective, remember that!"

"Shut up Jason." She said rolling her eyes. "You didn't even try to defend me when I tried out."

"Yeah, 'cuz I wanted you on my team." He said smirking hovering above us and smirking down at her. "Nervous Oliver? I would be if I were you. I'm not going to take it easy on you."

"He's fine." Reagan said. "Now go away."

He laughed and shot off towards the goals.

"I get the feeling your friend doesn't like me." I muttered flatly and she rolled her eyes.

"Jason just likes to mess with people. Don't worry about him, just focus on what you have to do."

"Stopping him is what I've got to focus on." I pointed out and she grinned.

"I'd be more worried about me. I'm not going to take it easy on you either."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"No." she said amused. "But there's no way you're getting on the team if they think I'm showing favoritism. Besides, you can handle it."

"Williams! You're not getting paid to cuddle your boyfriend all day! Get over here!"

"Oh damn." She said looking over her shoulder at an irritable man in the center of the pitch which the rest of the team had circled around. "I've got to go. Good luck!"

She gave me a swift kiss on the cheek then started running towards her team members.

I smiled and watched her go, not noticing that the other applicants were staring at me for several seconds.

"What?" I asked a little uncomfortable.

"You're Oliver, right? Oliver Wood?"

I nodded awkwardly. I still wasn't totally used to the amount of attention I was getting lately because of Reagan. The stories had died down over the last few weeks, but the few times we'd been out in public together since we'd been ambushed in Hogsmead had all been plagued by the paparazzi and their cameras. It was why we generally tried to stay in as much as possible.

"How on earth did you get Williams to go out with you?" a boy in the front of the group asked and several others nodded. He was built like a beater with short brown hair and dark eyes that were looking at me in what looked almost like awe.

I shrugged and looked over to the team which had gathered around their coach, getting ready to set up for trials, wondering if after today I'd been joining Reagan in the huddle.

"She's my best friend."

Judging by their expressions this wasn't really a satisfactory answer but I didn't care. What did it matter to me if they understood my relationship with Reagan or not? People could think what they wanted, it wasn't as if it was going to change anything.

A whistle blew and we looked over to see the assistant coach gesturing to the crowd that was waiting to try out.

"You lot over here! Beaters, go grab your bats! Chasers, follow Williams and Styles! Keepers set up at the goal posts! Seekers, await farther instructions!"

We split into our groups and I made my way to the goal posts with the other keepers.

"Alright, your first drill is pretty straight forward." The coach said. "You'll be tested on your ability to deal with a break away. Two chasers and one keeper. Who wants to go first?"

The group of keepers looked around nervously at each other and I shrugged.

"I'll go."

"Alright, take your position then."

I flew up to the hoops and looked to see the Chasers were setting up too, those who would be trying out mixed with current members of the team. Reagan and Styles were at the front of the line, apparently discussing strategy, but when they looked up to see who they were facing, Styles grinned and Reagan winked.

I felt my heart skip a beat, but I forced myself to focus.

"Chasers on my whistle!" one of the coaches shouted while tossing Reagan the quaffle.

She caught it easily and tucked it under her arm, getting ready to start the drill and I was reminded of all the mornings we'd spent training together at Hogwarts. They were some of the best moments of my life, and I knew there would be more of them if I made the team.

The whistle blew and the next thing I knew, Styles and Reagan shot towards me. Dodging bludgers and passing so quickly it was like they could read each other's minds, I waited.

They closed the distance quickly, and Reagan passed to Styles. He pulled back his arm and I dove. The next few seconds passed very quickly. I waited to hear the bell ring throughout the practice arena signaling a goal had been scored but it never came.

I felt the quaffle slam into my hands and jerked to a stop. Hardly daring to believe my eyes, I looked down to see the red ball resting between my fingertips. I'd caught it...

I blinked and glanced at the chasers. Styles looked surprised and slightly impressed, but then scowled when he caught me looking at him.

"You got lucky." He grumbled.

Reagan smiled, gave me another wink and they flew back to reset for the drill.

"Next keeper!" the coach shouted.

I flew to the ground and earned several high fives, then turned to watch the boy after me.

The drills continued, getting harder and more intense with applicants eliminated after each one. Finally, three hours later I was standing with those who'd made it to the end of the trials, waiting to hear who'd made the final cut.

We were standing in the middle of the pitch waiting for the coaches to come out of the changing rooms with the team roster.

"So," said a voice and I turned to see the beater who I'd spoken to earlier. "Think your girlfriend's gonna help or hurt your chances?"

I glanced over to the side lines where the current team members were talking and grabbing water.

"No idea." I said a little amused, watching as Reagan and Styles obviously got into a debate about something which he'd decided to resolve by dumping his water onto her head then quickly running away while she stood there in shock.

She blinked for a few seconds, obviously needing a moment to registered what had happened, but just as she was about to run after him, the coaches stepped out of the training room and started making their way to the center of the pitch.

"Well, it's now or never." The beater muttered more to himself than anyone else and a hush fell over the crowd. There were about fifteen of us left, and we watched anxiously as the coaches stopped.

"I'd like to thank everyone who's come out." The man in the center, the head coach said glancing up from his clipboard. "There was a lot of talent out on the pitch today, but unfortunately we couldn't take all of you. Just know that it was a very tough decision. Those whose names are called can join the rest of the team. The rest of you I'm sorry but you didn't make cut."

I felt my stomach tighten as around me people shifted nervously. The man took a deep breath then looked at his list.

"Aubrey." He said and one of the boys trying out with the chasers, who looked as if he were about to faint, walked quickly in Reagan's direction.

My heart rate increased as he continued down the list.

"Hastings."

"Good luck man." the beater said clapping me on the shoulder and making his way towards the team.

"Irving, Summers."

Two more players made their way towards the sidelines and I felt my nails digging in my palms.

"And finally." He continued. "Wood."

It felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders. I didn't realize I'd been holding my breath until I'd started breathing again.

I grinned as relief spread through me and was about to join the rest of the team, but before I could take a single step, I heard a cry of delight.

"I knew it!" Reagan shouted happily running towards me and the next thing I knew, I was tackled into a tight, slightly damp hug. Her hair was still dripping from the water Jason had thrown on her but I didn't care. I laughed and hugged her back while the coach made an irritated noise.

"Get it together Williams, you're supposed to be a professional."

She let me go, but otherwise ignored him and beamed up at me.

"I knew you'd make it." she said her eyes shining.

"Well that makes one of us." I said with a slightly nervous laugh.

"Yeah well don't think you're out of the woods yet." The coach said gruffly looking between the two of us as people made their way off the pitch. "If I think for a second your relationship is a distraction from either of your performances don't think I won't trade one of you like that."

He snapped his fingers to illustrate his point and while she looked a little amused, she didn't contradict him.

"Be here tomorrow at 8 a.m. sharp." He said looking at me. "Be warned, I don't tolerate tardiness on this team. I don't care who you're dating."

He gave me one last shrewd look before turning and walking back to the changing rooms with the other coaches.

Reagan hesitated for a second, making sure he was he was preoccupied before pulling me into another enthusiastic hug.

"Blimey Ray," I said laughing. "Tell me how you really feel."

"I'm just so excited." She said letting me go and bouncing a little as she looked up at me. "You did it!"

"I know." I said looking around the pitch in amazement. "It still doesn't feel real."

"Well you'd better get used to it." said a voice and we turned to see Styles had walked over to us. He was looking at me with the same exact expression the coach had given me, as if he wasn't sure how he felt about me. "Because you're in the big leagues now. It doesn't get any easier. Welcome to the team."

"Thanks." I said and he looked at Reagan as she took my hand.

"Would you stop that?" He asked irritated. "I'm not going to spend an entire season with a front row seat to your relationship."

"Do you ever stop complaining?" Reagan asked frowning at him and he grinned.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because it irritates you."

She rolled her eyes but didn't get a chance to respond because someone had shouted.

"Hey! Ray! Max is looking for you."

We looked over to see the keeper for the team Andrew Marks, was waving to get her attention.

"Alright!" she called back and then looked at me. "I'll see you later alright? And you." she gave Styles a suspicious look. "Be nice."

"I'm always nice." Styles said smirking and it looked as if she was resisting the temptation to roll her eyes again.

She made her way towards the changing room leaving me alone with Styles.

"So." He said giving me a shrewd look and crossing his arms over his chest. "You and little Ray Ray."

"Have you got some sort of problem with it?" I asked frowning. Not for the first time today I got the feeling like he didn't like me.

"Not right now." He admitted but he was still glaring at me. "But I don't know that much about you."

"Is this the part where you tell me if I hurt her you'll hurt me?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"No." he said shrugging. "She's quite capable of beating you up on her own. But I would remind you that as a professional athlete you're going to have a lot of fans, female fans, and I have a feeling you'll have a lot of them."

"You'd know something about that."

"But unlike you I don't have a girlfriend." He said seriously.

"What's your point?" I said frowning and he continued to give me that distrustful look.

"My point is Reagan is a good person. Don't go messing it up."

"I don't need you to tell me that." I said annoyed.

"I'm just warning you for what's coming." He said. "It's easier to get caught up in than you think. Why do you think things didn't work between Ray and Drake?"

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked uncertainly.

"Because she really likes you Oliver." He said and I was surprised at his expression. "She's one of the few people I've met that fame hasn't changed. I can only hope the same can be said for you."

I didn't know what to say to this and he smirked.

" _Now's_ the part where I threaten you."

"Is it?" I asked dully.

"Just remember my team mates and I have a lot of influence the quidditch league. You mess up and I guarantee you you can kiss your career good bye. No team's going to pick you up." his smirk grew. "Just something for you to think about."

He turned and started walking back to his team and I watched him go a little uncertainly. I'd always gotten the impression Styles was a lot like Drake, carefree and super into being famous, maybe a little too much so. It would explain why they got along so well, but if he cared this much about his friend, well, maybe he wasn't so bad.

I watched him for a moment, but then made my way towards the team. I was about half way to them when Reagan reappeared.

She smiled when she spotted me and jogged in my direction.

"What did Max want?" I asked and she waved a hand carelessly.

"Oh just something about one of the team's sponsors, but that's not important right now. We've got to celebrate!"

"What do you want to do?" I asked taking her hand as we made our way towards the exit of the training facility.

"There's a Harpies game tonight. I know your sister wanted to go to it. We could go with your family."

"Sounds great." I said grinning as we stepped out onto the street to see several fans were waiting outside the complex, hoping to catch a glimpse of the team.

"Jason seems to be enjoying himself." Reagan said grinning when she spotted him taking pictures with several pretty girls dressed in quidditch robes with his name and number.

"He always seems to." I said and I looked at her. "You know he warned me about fans and letting them get to me. What do you think?"

"I can't really see you ever putting up with that kind of behavior." She said nodding towards Styles where one of the girls has kissed his cheek at the last second before the picture was taken.

"Well, maybe from one girl." I said and she smiled.

We walked away from the crowd her hand still in mine, both lost in thought.

At first I found it strange that Styles had felt the need to warn me, but when I glanced over my shoulder at him again, I thought I could understand why. Part of me wondered I'd ever be in that situation.

I doubted it. He was one of the most talented players in the country, quite possibly in the world. Of course girls were all over him, but even if I ever reached his level I wasn't sure I wanted all that. They knew nothing about him. They only liked him because he was famous. But I guess why I could see why it would be easy to go a little overboard. It must be a great feeling knowing that everyone loved you and wanted your attention without you having to try.

I looked back at Reagan who seemed perfectly happy to ignore the crowd and walk with me. How had she avoided getting caught up in it? She'd been a teenager when the whole world had learned her name, yet she'd never let it change her. Despite all the money and the fame she'd gained over the years, she was still just a girl who loved to play quidditch.

"What?" she asked and I realized I'd been staring at her.

"Nothing." I said shaking my head and looking at Styles and his fans. He could keep them. There was only one girl I wanted to spend my time with.

"What is it?" she asked curiously.

"It's just…" I paused trying to think I wanted to say. I thought back over the past year, from the moment I'd met her on the train to the countless nights we'd stayed up talking about quidditch together and everything in between. I wouldn't have traded it to be in Styles's place for a second.

"I love you." I said looking at her and her eyes went wide.

She looked completely stunned for a moment, but just as my heart rate quickened, and I was starting to think I might have said too much, she smiled.

"I love you too."

I didn't know how to describe the feeling that went through me as she said it, but my heart rate sky rocketed and it was a little hard to breathe.

"Well," I said grinning trying to keep my voice even. "Glad we cleared that up."

She laughed and as we continued walking together I felt lighter than air.

"You know, a lot of people thought I was crazy for starting my career so young." she said thoughtfully. "I'm glad I didn't."

"Yeah I bet, not even twenty and already scheduled to play in the World Cup. Doesn't seem crazy now does it?"

"That's not why." she said shaking her head. "If I hadn't still been going to school when I moved here, I probably wouldn't have met you."

"Well I'm glad you did." I said and she smiled.

"Me too."

As we continued to walk, I thought about this and how Reagan and I had ended up where we were. If someone had told me that day on the train that I'd landed both my dream job and my dream girl by the summer, let alone that girl wasn't Alicia but a world famous quidditch player, well I wouldn't have believed them. Sometimes I still didn't. There were times when I found myself looking at her and was almost certain it was too good to be true.

"Do you ever wonder what would have happened if you stayed in America?" I asked. "How different things would be?"

"No." she said so firmly I looked at in her in surprise.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want things to be different. I like things just the way they are."

I smiled and put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to me and she slid an arm around my waist.

"I like them too."

The fans, who'd been so preoccupied with Styles and the other team members hadn't noticed us. But suddenly, I heard someone shout.

"It's her! It's Reagan and Oliver!"

We turned and I saw several people looking in our direction. Reagan looked up at me.

"Ready?" she asked.

I nodded and together we waved at the crowd that came rushing towards us.

She was quickly surrounded and while she shot me an apologetic look, I found I didn't care. I watched as she took pictures with her fans and signed whatever they shoved at her, only to find myself smiling. I wouldn't have changed a thing.

...

Well, that's it. Thanks you to everyone who read and all the people who favorited/followed/reviewed, it really means a lot! I hope you enjoyed the story!

~secrethalfblood


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